The eHealth initiative was implemented by the Federal government in 2000. The program aims to have complete electronic health records of all Canadians by 2015, so doctors are able to access information about new and transferring patients more easily, to reduce the amount of paper process needed in keeping physical files as well as reducing wait times and most importantly, the program hopes to reduce the amount of mistakes and mix-ups often made with paper files.
But, of course, no province is perfect! eHealth Ontario - within less than a year of it's creation in September 2008 - has been plagued with scandal. Unbelievably, CEO Sarah Kramer procured a $114,000 bonus (approved by the Board of Directors - many former colleagues of Ms. Kramer at Cancer Care Ontario) within four months of being the CEO of eHealth Ontario! She claimed it was a "carry-over" bonus from her job at CCO, but both companies only allow for a bonus which is made up of 15% the person's annual salary. Considering Kramer's salary is $380,000, this hefty bonus was more like a 30% bonus - twice the allowed rate by a Crown owned company.
Furthermore, it came to light that the company was paying consultants millions of dollars to barely perform. Over five million dollars was awarded by the agency in untendered, unofficial contracts...most of which belonged to business partners and ties of Kramer's. The so-called consultants hired by the agency were paid between $1,700-2,500 a day to read the newspaper and watch T.V.
The big news today is Kramer is out with a severance package of $317,000 - almost a full year's salary for the former CEO. Health minister Caplan claims legally there was little choice in awarding her more money (even though she is being fired by spending too much) because she could chose to take the province to court if they fired her sans-comp.
Outraged Ontarians are crying out for their tax dollars to be repaid, the blatant spending by eHealth Ontario could have possibly gone to a health care system which is constantly needing more and more governmental funding. Of course, this will never happen. The money that eHealth Ontario has blown over the last eight months is gone - happily financing the pockets of the upper crust Ontarians who, ironically, are the ones least in need of such huge financial pay-offs and bonuses.
Is this not a time of economic crisis?????
The first step has been taken by firing the superfluous CEO but next it is time to hold accountable the Provincial government for failing to monitor the preposterous amount of money eHealth Ontario has spent on absolutely nothing! David Caplan must step down from his position as Health minister because unfortunately he has proved that he cannot uphold one of the major responsibilities of the Health minister.
The McGuinty government not only owes Ontarians (and Canadians) a BIG apology but BIG ACTION. Whether or not the government chooses to hold Caplan accountable within the coming weeks is now a matter of speculation but so long as the Opposition calls for his resignation, McGuinty will barely be able to ignore it. Only time will tell if the Ontario Liberals can redeem themselves for this gargantuan mistake.
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