Job cuts coming at Algoma Public Health, total number unknown

Algoma Public Health will be trimming its workforce.

That development comes after APH board members approved a budget of $17.2 million for 2024 at their meeting held Wednesday.

That’s $205,000 less than 2023 anticipated funding.

“Workforce reduction has been planned for amongst other strategies to come to a balanced budget for 2024,” APH states in a report prepared for Wednesday’s meeting.

APH did not specify how many jobs will be cut, or in which departments.

APH states that the budget meets “the minimum financial requirements” to continue COVID-19 response, immunization programming and the provision of mandatory public health programs and services for the Sault and Algoma District.

An Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) news release from Nov. 1 expressed concern that the APH Board of Health “will be recommending a ‘workforce reduction’ to save money in the face of a projected $1.5-million budget shortfall for 2024.”

“The prospect of up to 15 health unit positions, possibly including the nurses that ONA represents – being eliminated should send a chill down the spine of every resident of the District of Algoma,” the ONA release stated. 

APH’s 2024 budget comes with the assumption that there will be a six per cent or $251,353 increase to the total municipal levy rate.

APH is hoping that increase will lessen the extent of job cuts in 2024.

The health unit is offering voluntary retirement packages to some of its employees as a way to cut costs.

“The voluntary retirement incentive program had some success. We did receive some applications, which we accepted and those employees are retiring at the end of this year,” said Rick Webb, APH director of corporate services at Wednesday’s meeting.

Webb did not specify how many APH employees are taking the voluntary retirement incentive.

The number of senior executive team members has been reduced by one following the retirement of two directors and the number of managers has also been reduced by two. 

Several temporary staff contracts have ended.

"Workforce reduction strategies include (a) gapping existing vacancies where possible and (b) planning for permanent elimination of existing positions with consideration of our public health mandate and local public health priorities, as needed, based on the outstanding deficit projected after approval of municipal levy contributions for 2024. As a temporary measure, APH began gapping vacant positions in 2023 and continues to conduct monthly review of gapped funding dollars. Consolidating and/or eliminating vacant positions is less disruptive for individual staff and has already been implemented where possible," wrote Dr. Jennifer Loo, APH medical officer of health and CEO, in an email to SooToday.

"Any necessary workforce reduction would be communicated with staff and unions, and follow collective agreement processes, as appropriate," Loo wrote.

As far as cuts to services are concerned, APH will discontinue its smoking cessation program as other such programs are available through the province.

"To enact a population health approach, local public health must optimize cross-sector partnerships to maximize resource use and avoid duplication of services, as well as focus on upstream approaches to public health that are uniquely planned and implemented by public health," wrote Kristy Harper, APH director of health promotion and chief nursing officer in an email.

"As there are several free provincial smoking cessation services available, we will be ending one-on-one smoking cessation services in 2024. We will continue to support community providers in the promotion of tobacco cessation services at existing point-of-contact with clients. Public health is mandated to focus on comprehensive tobacco prevention, protection, and promotion, and there has been a long-standing need to shift resources from individual treatment to address the broader scope of our public health mandate to make an impact at the population level," Harper wrote.

APH’s financial challenges include a recently announced one per cent or $88,000 Ministry of Health increase to base funding for public health units for each year in 2024, 2025 and 2026 - far less than the rate of inflation.

The Ministry’s COVID-19 funding for APH also comes to an end Dec. 31, 2023.