Reform is needed for how Dalhousie University and the Nova Scotia Health Authority handle disputes among physicians, according to a new report.
The 257-page document released Tuesday examines the cases of Drs. Gabrielle Horne, Bassam Nassar and Michael Goodyear, who each saw problems arise in the workplace. No misconduct was ever established, but the trio faced serious damage to their careers that they continue to fight.
Goodyear suffered the most damage, which resulted in his termination.
“You had two organizations that really didn’t know how to work things out among themselves and the result was, as the report says, a systematic failure of giant proportions that basically made a right mess of three people’s careers, at least.”
READ THE FULL REPORT BELOW:
The author of the report said the physicians were denied justice and that there was a failure of bylaws, policy and process by both the university and the health authority in dealing with the disputes.
“Basically, there were no clear mechanisms to resolve the issues and so just dragged on for years and years and years and as often happens, they just escalated,” said Goodyear.
Dr. Allan Sharp, chair of the independent committee of inquiry, spoke to Global News over the phone, and said the findings were unprecedented.
“I have not heard of three major and obvious violations of the academic freedoms of medical professors to all happen at roughly the same time before anywhere in Canada,” he said.
Representatives from Dalhousie declined to comment on the report.
The Nova Scotia Health Authority only offered this comment.st
The report offers a series of recommendations and are encouraginge Dalhousie, the province, and the healthy authority to get together and figure out how they catn make improvements.
As for Goodyear, said he hopes for real, fundamental change, starting with an independent inquiry.
“I think it should go to the Ppremier’s office, yes, and that they should appoint a committee of inquiry and get input from all stake holders, look at international experience and come up with new mechanisms to deal with all these issues.”
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