Northern School of Medicine restructures, cuts staff

NEWS RELEASES

NORTHERN ONTARIO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES UNION (OPSEU)

*************************** NOSM reshaping to thrive, meet strategic plan and fiscal priorities

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) today announced that it is undergoing a reshaping of its organizational structure. 

Guided by the vision of innovative education and research for a healthier North, the school is modifying its structure in order to move forward, and continue to be an international leader recognized for its distinct model of distributed, community-engaged medical education and research as outlined in the school’s strategic plan: 2010-15.

The reshaping of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine will respond to strategic plan priorities identified through a full year of collaboration and consultations with NOSM faculty, staff, board of directors, and stakeholders across the North.

Five priorities of strategic plan

- Enhancing education program

- Strengthening research initiatives

- Developing learning environment

- Fostering excellent faculty relations

- Enhancing collaboration and communication with community partners

The school is positioning itself and is making the changes necessary to thrive and remain at the forefront of medical education and research in the reality of an economically-challenging environment.

Balanced budget

Transformations to NOSM’s operations will enable the school to meet its fiscal obligations in an environment of fixed funding and expanding costs. 

NOSM’s board of directors policy requires an annual balanced operations budget. 

Operational adjustments were necessary to address a structural deficit ($1.5 M plus .5 M in loss of funding from the Ministry of Health) and to ensure the school achieves a balanced budget in 2011/12. 

New organizational structure

In the new structure, the school’s functions will be represented by five associate deans (reduced from nine), who lead portfolios that reflect NOSM’s strategic plan priorities. 

Supported by the dean’s office and administration, the school’s portfolios will include faculty affairs, undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical education, research and community engagement.

NOSM functions currently represented by the portfolios of continuing health professional education, informatics, and learner affairs will be redistributed.

Regretfully, this organizational change will result in a school-wide reduction of 24 management and staff positions. 

No faculty members will be laid off as a result of the reshaping.

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is positioning itself to thrive in an environment which is facing significant fiscal pressures and structural funding challenges,” said Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM dean. 

“Undergoing a reorganization that results in the reduction of positions is not an easy situation. I am personally grateful to all individuals who have contributed to the success of NOSM,” he continued.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is committed to the education of high quality physicians and health professionals, and to international recognition as a leader in distributed, learning-centred, community-engaged education and research.

*************************** NOSM layoffs violate collective agreement: OPSEU

SUDBURY - A plan by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to lay off up to 17 employees violates terms of their collective bargaining agreement and will be vigorously challenged, the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union said today.

"The medical school has elected to layoff 17 of our members without bothering to read the collective agreement that they signed only a few short months ago," said Warren (Smokey) Thomas. "The fact is we have very specific language in the contract that speaks to displacement rights and other options that can mitigate the impact on affected employees.

"Those members of Local 677 who find themselves laid off can be assured we will challenge this unnecessary move by management on grounds that it deliberately ignored the terms and conditions of their collective agreement."

OPSEU also contends the layoffs have been rammed through without any consideration or plans for how the job losses will managed by others in the bargaining unit nor how the school will maintain the quality of services which students and the community have come to expect.

The union disputes management's position that the layoffs are needed to offset budget shortfalls.

Instead, the layoffs will trigger serious shortcomings in services that the school has not adequately prepared for.

The union is prepared to meet with management to discuss alternatives to simply cutting jobs.

OPSEU represents more than 150 staff at NOSM in Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.

The layoffs affect staff members at campuses at Lakehead University and Laurentian University.

The sole employee of the school's Timmins satellite campus has also been handed an unemployment notice.

In total, the layoffs will cut support services at NOSM by 11 percent.

"These layoffs represent a dramatic attack on the quality of education that medical students in northern Ontario have come to expect. We urge the school to sit down with our union to work out a plan to restore these jobs while maintaining a level of service that avoids a negative impact on the learning environment," said OPSEU President Thomas.

Members of Local 677 reached a settlement on their first contract with the school last November following a walk out that lasted three months.

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