The group that upheld the Princeton hospital 12 years ago has disbanded.
Ed Staples, who founded Support Our Health Care (SOHC), along with his wife Nienke Klaver, said the organization was dissolved recently.
“It was time,” said Staples in an interview with the Spotlight.
The couple has contributed much to health care improvement in Princeton, and across the province.
Staples and Klaver are both in their 70’s, made the difficult choice to retire from advocacy life. “It’s time for someone else to step up,” said Staples.
The two live in Coalmont. In addition to forming SOHC, they were also behind the organizing of the Princeton Health Steering Committee, and eventually the BC Rural Health Network, which is still thriving today.
They also initiated the Love a Locum campaign, which successfully worked to attracted doctors to Princeton for short periods of time.
In 2012, Interior Health announced it would close Princeton’s emergency room for most hours, being only open on weekend evenings.
Klaver was not satisfied, and circulated a petition that garnered 3,600 signatures against the move.
Initially, the two staged protests outside the hospital, and that gained the attention of Interior Health. “I guess the feeling that we had was that our goal was trying to improve the model of health care here in Princeton,” said Staples.
Eventually, with the lobbying of local industry and area politicians, the province agreed to put forward $1 million to be parcelled out to 10 physicians who would be funded $100,000 each to work in a rural community throughout the province.
Princeton received two of the grants, to attract doctors who still practice here. A full compliment of doctors is again at risk, as two physicians are set to leave the town. That leaves only three doctors to cover an area of more than 5,000 people.
Staples said he is sure someone will come forward to support recruitment. Any advice?
Staples said: “Confrontation and name-calling certainly got attention, which is certainly important. It comes down to collaboration and cooperation though.” confrontation and name calling certainly got everyone’s attention which is certainly important...through collaboration and cooperation.
Mayor Spencer Coyne had nothing but praise for the couple's contribution.
“Ed and Nienke were instrumental in keeping Princeton at the forefront of Interior Health and politicians’ minds in the early days of our healthcare struggle. When I was president of Save Our Health Care they were the engine that kept us going,” he told the Spotlight.“When we changed from ‘Save’ to ‘Support’ Our Health Care, they expanded the scope and became synonymous with the words health care in the southern interior.
“SOHC has been pivotal in our journey, and I thank all who have been apart of that journey over the years.”
