Minutes - September 12, 2002

Convened at 6:40 p.m.

1. Minutes of meeting of August 23rd were reviewed and accepted.

2. Financial Report. Charlie Stock reported $892.03 in bank, $500.00 owed to Charlie Stock for expenses re: Public Medicare campaign, Government owes KHC $753.00 Gross assets $1,245.23.

3. Karl Flecker and John Stanford reported on plans to hold a forum in Kingston on Private Hospitals. The speakers on the panel are to be Natalie Mehra (provincial co-ordinator of the Ontario Health Coalition), Maude Barlow (Chair - Council of Canadians) and Dr. G. Guyatt (Co-author of the McMaster study of Patient mortality rates at profit based hospitals in the USA.), and Michael Hurley - President of Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU). The Ontario Health Coalition, CUPE/OCHU and Council of Canadians are sponsoring this event. It is taking place at Memorial Hall in City Hall, Monday, October 7th at 7 p.m.

We are undertaking the local media and publicity campaign. It was agreed that we would put an ad in PIC Press and in Kingston this Week ($100.00 each); send out broadcast faxes; and produce handouts and posters. Council of Canadians has some supplementary funds available to cover costs.

Assignments undertaken:

Ross to contact Tom Breen re: coverage by the COGECO Public Eye program on topic

Karl Flecker will arrange public service ads and prepare the flyer for posting

Marijana will send out Broadcast Fax and arrange for Mike to do postering downtown for $30.00

Janet Collins will arrange Cable Community Bulletin Board posting

Lynda Dowdle will organize phoning - phoners: Bob Risdale (Christine to contact), Lynda, Mary McPhee, Marilyn Birmingham, Marijana Matovic

Janet will work with OPIRG to advertise event on Queen’s campus, and also poster the nursing school

Karl will publicize and poster medical school and Public Policy building

Ross will publicize at ONA and OPSEU

Janet will poster the libraries

John will publicize to CUPE and arrange to leaflet hospitals at 6:30 a.m.

Personal Presentations are to be made to the Health Boards

Marijana will email City Council

Christine will coordinate a sign for in front of Council On Aging

Vince and Howard undertook to publicize to NDP and Labour Council

Ross will submit recorded announcement to CBC Ontario Morning (Bill Bleakley)

4. Action on the Privatization of MRI/CT clinics. Ross has prepared in conjunction with the OHC a paper on this topic. John Gerretsen, MPP is being lobbied at his office to get the Liberal Caucus to change its policy of supporting private delivery of services. A news conference is to be held outside his office immediately after the meeting with John Gerretsen at 9:30 a.m..

The date of the meeting with Gerretsen is September 20th at 9 a.m. Making the presentation will be Ross Sutherland, Lynda Jackson, Pat Cauldwell and Charlie Stock. Matthew to deliver the position to Gerretsen’s office in LaSalle Mews on September 19th. All are welcome to conference. Lynda will call the list. Ross and Charlie will send Media announcement to local newspapers and radio stations. John Gerretsen will be provided with a courtesy copy of the media announcement.

5. Ross to prepare a thank you note to the Sisters for providing free space for our meetings.

6. Announcements: Linda McQuaig is speaking at a fund raiser for OPIRG on Tuesday, October 8th at 7:30 p.m.

7. Adjournment.