By Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, November 9, 1999

I have repetitiously stated that the organizational management philosophy of the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) and of Saskatchewan Health were not conducive to the proper establishment of District Health Boards as per "The Health District Act"(1). Also, I have always stated that the continuation of a policy direction of computerization based on long waits(2) and on the implementation of big bang projects such as Stargarden(3) payroll and SHIN(4) were not compatible with today's changing economy(5) where people, knowledge and innovation are the most important ingredients.

Our Tin Pot socialist and liberal dictators(6) have lost the common sense which is a prerequisite for a good leadership. They have lost touch with the people at large, and they continue to cheat us with their fragmented, reductionist and artificial expertise by mortgaging the future of this province and their children. Our research intelligence is being manipulated for political reasons(7)(8), our laws are broken by the same lawmakers(9), and we have reactionary administrative policies favouring the rich against the poor, urban people against rural people, law and order against justice, and the list goes on(10).

I want you, the reader, ponder about these philosophical directions:

• to have a university's vision built on the $173 million Synchrotron: the "...Swiss Army Knife... of the world letting researchers see things at the molecular level with incredible precision...(11)" Until now, I thought that a Swiss Army Knife was an economical tool, but the story doesn't finish here. Russ Huebner, an expert in the commercial applications of researches undertaken at synchrotrons, observed that it may take over a decade to attract private-sectors, but he also stated that synchrotrons "...have long lifetimes once they are up and running, between 30 and 50 years...(12)"
• after mismanaging healthcare payroll for two decades and after allocating millions of dollars for the now defunct and secretive Stargarden payroll project, SAHO has now bought one of the most expensive healthcare payroll system in Canada and maybe in the world. And this is happening in our supposed Internet Economy characterized by increasing returns and diminishing costs. SAHO estimates that the implementation of this new centralized payroll system will cut down related costs by $38 million over 10 years; in the meantime they cheat their users by raising their fees by 60 %(13).
• at the last Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) Convention, Pat Atkinson, Minister of Health, has stated: "...Health care is not a museum piece. It is constantly evolving and changing...(14)" She is right, the only problem with her is that after not listening to the health care people for the last some eight years(15), she has become a museum piece herself. Our present leaders are cheaters. The SHIN project was supposed to have savings between $43 and $106 million(16), instead, today we know that the SHIN project will drain at least $40 million(17) into another hole in the ground(18). Governmental spin doctor Jim Melenchuck, after giving the finger to the Saskatchewan electorate(19), wants to put more money into patient care and cut further funding for SHIN. At the same time, SHIN's Chair, Dr. Allan Miller, is providing a planned and understandable counter policy direction by stating "...$40 million barely scratches the surface ...as much as another $80 million is required... we are at a critical point. Those of us on the board are committed to the project. They feel there is real value..." So, while the Regina Health District is in the hole by millions of dollars and doesn't have money to fix its aging equipment, and the University of Saskatchewan's college of medicine loses his fifth specialist and jeopardizes its academic credential(20), we have our leaders making the hard decision to fund or not to fund SHIN. This is the way our politicians and leaders cheat the taxpayers, by planning an economic policy based on confusion and where decisions always deal with the dichotomy of black and white, yes and no, SHIN or not SHIN. And no matter the decisions taken, the winners are always the same people, our privileged oligarchy(21). This is not a fair game for the ordinary people of Saskatchewan.

Our Provincial Auditor, Wayne Strelioff, in reviewing the SHIN project, made many recommendations and statements including the following(22):

• "...linking the SHIN project directly to the health reform goals in the Department's strategic plan and annual report..."
• "...documenting the performance indicators they will use to measure what the project has achieved..."
• "...preparing an in-depth cost benefit analyses for the project prior to the detailed design of SHIN..."
• "...Health doesn't have a long-term strategic plan published in one document. The Saskatchewan Vision for Health Document includes health reform goals and strategies. However, Health does not include the SHIN project as a strategy in this document..."

The Provincial Auditor, the most accountable servant of the people of Saskatchewan(23), has been cheated by both the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations and by Saskatchewan Health. He did not know that the Saskatchewan Vision for Health was just a paper vision(24), and that the SHIN's strategy, if any, was just a paper strategy(25).

Endnotes

1. Do we need Centralized Payroll and Bigger Bureaucracy in Healthcare? by Mario deSantis, February 7, 1995 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-bigbureacracy-feb01-95.htm

2. Conversation Paper on Economic Policies: Meeting of July 15, 1996 between Brian Rourke, Chairperson of SAHO, Arliss Wright, President and CEO of SAHO, and Mario deSantis of DigiCare. By Mario deSantis http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/Paper-ConversationSAHO-Jl12-96.htm

3. Letter dated January 10, 1996 from Mario deSantis to Patrick Dumelie. January 10, 1996 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-letter-Pat-Jan10-96.htm

4. A Historical Perspective of The Saskatchewan Health Information Network, by Mario deSantis and James deSantis, March 1998 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-SHIN.htm

5. Coping with Changes: An overview of the learning organization, knowledge economy, and current practices in information technology applications, by Mario deSantis, page 1, June 1997 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-coping_changes.htm

6. Saskatchewan Tin Pot Dictatorships: Lack of Integrity is Lack of Leadership, by Mario deSantis, February 7, 1999 Published in North Central Internet News

7. SGI accused of meddling: Researcher claims she was told to falsify no-fault insurance study, by Kim McNairn, The StarPhoenix, May 14, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

8. Fragmented Research comes to the help of Saskatchewan Reform, By Mario deSantis, September 28, 1999

9. Premier Romanow: Reinventing The Rule Of Law And Becoming Above The Law, by Mario deSantis, September 2, 1999 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-ReinvenLaw-Sept02-99.htm

10. Few Words on the Synchrotron, Politics and Education in Saskatchewan, by Mario deSantis, April 4, 1999

11. Quotation of Michael Bancroft, Interim Director, Canadian Light Source; from Our People Our Strength, University of Saskatchewan brochure delivered to all households of Saskatchewan, November 1999

12. Premier Romanow's Shining Light to the World: The Canadian Light Source Synchrotron, by Mario deSantis, April 2, 1999

13. SAHO Payroll Policies: Saving Money Out of Ongoing Catastrophes, by Mario deSantis, February 10, 1999

14. Atkinson touts initiatives in regional health care, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, November 6, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

15. News Release. Apr 12, 1999, Health 99 - 287 MINISTER APPEALS TO NURSES. The following letter from Health Minister Pat Atkinson was delivered to Saskatchewan Union of Nurses President Rosalee Longmoore this afternoon: http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/1999Apr/287.99041205.html

16. Managing Information Technology-A Vision for the Future-Information Technology architecture. Page 8.5, Saskatchewan Health, April 1995

17. Health information network in jeaopardy: Costs could triple, delegates told, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, November 6, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

18. Health Reform in Saskatchewan: Digging Holes in the Ground, by Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, October 20, 1999

19. Governmental coalition in Saskatchewan: a private contractual deal at the expense of the electorate? by Mario deSantis, October 2, 1999

20. Saskatoon loses fifth pathologist: Radhi says politics, lack of trust in department pushed him to decision, by Jason Warick, November 6, 1999, The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

21. University of Saskatchewan: A Vision Built on Privileged Education and on the Synchrotron, by Mario deSantis, October 25, 1999

22. Report of the Provincial Auditor, 1997 Spring, Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan

23. The Vision of the Office of the Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan is "We envision effective, open and accountable government. We are committed to making a difference by encouraging excellence in public sector management and reporting practices", Report of the Provincial Auditor, 1997 Spring, Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan

24. The Saga of Health Reform: Pat Atkinson Wants Fewer Health Boards and Fully Appointed Boards, by Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, October 16, 1999

25. Saskatchewan Health Information Network-SHIN: Ignoring its mandate and diverting money for the Y2K Nightmare, by Mario deSantis, November 3, 1999