The Port Colborne Standing Committee voted by secret ballot on the recommendations made by the health expert sought by the Local Health Integration Network to review the Niagara Health System restructuring plan. The vote, while not unanimous by its nine members, was counted by an outside legal counsel.

"This is disturbing," said Port Colborne Mayor Vance Badawey of the decision to implement a plan which will transform the local hospital's 24-hour emergency department into an around-the-clock urgent care centre. "This does not by any means reflect the position taken by the city of Port Colborne and its health care committee."

Standing committees for the health system's three smaller hospitals -- Fort Erie, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Port Colborne -- were created in the late 90s by the health services restructuring committee, which preceded the NHS. The committees were formed to have a say on any decision to cut or reduce in-patient or emergency services at their local hospitals.participate in the public process undertaken by the city, with the exception of two members, Mary Doan and Karen Marr. All meetings held by the Port Colborne Wainfleet health care task force were open to the public and members of the standing committee and Niagara Health System were always invited, Badawey said.

"Quite frankly the process undertaken by the task force and the public input were ignored by the standing committee," said Badawey. "The entire community showed its support for the process we undertook, and it was made clear what we expected in terms of our hospital."

Badawey said the standing committee, which is made up of four members of the public and three members of the NHS, is not a credible body.

"Quite frankly the NHS high-jacked the committee," said Badawey in reference to the make-up of the committee. "You have a chair who no longer lives in the community, a relative of the NHS CEO, and NHS board members and staff."

According to the NHS, the standing committee is made up of NHS CEO Debbie Sevenpifer, Port Colborne site chair George Rungi and board of trustees member Doug Frazer, who serves as chair of the committee. Frazer now resides in Niagara Falls.

Representing the public are Doan, Marr, Sandy White and Alicia Arnold, who Badawey alleges is a relative of Sevenpifer. There are two public vacancies on the committee.

NHS chief communications officer Christine Clark said Arnold is not a "blood relative" of Sevenpifer's, and therefore, there is no conflict of interest under the standing committee bylaw. Arnold's husband is a cousin of the NHS CEO's husband.

According to NHS media spokeswoman, Caroline Bourque-Wiley, all members of the committee, including those who sit on the NHS board of trustees and work for the health system, are able to vote.

Bourque-Wiley said committee members are recruited through a soliciting process and appointed by the board of trustees based on skill. One of the criteria for sitting on the committee, said Bourque-Wiley, is residing in the community represented.

According to Clark the board representative on the committee, in Port Colborne's case, Frazer, does not have to reside in the community.

"This stinks," said Badawey. "And I hope the LHIN and health minister can smell that."

Frazer said the decision made by the standing committee was not made hastily. Board members deliberated the issue for three hours before votes were cast.

He said the board focused on quality of care when making a decision on the final restructuring plan.

"Personally I'm happy to see this go through," said Frazer. "I think a few years down the road health care will be improved for the region because of this plan."

The status quo, said Frazer, is not efficient, and that what the NHS is proposing does not stray too much from what services are currently offered at the hospital.

"Port Colborne doesn't have a full service hospital, despite what the community may think," said Frazer. "We felt there should be one hospital spread over six sites."

Frazer said the committee was not tasked with viewing public input or a hospital plan created by the Port Colborne-Wainfleet health care task force, which among other things recommended a 24-hour emergency department remain in Port Colborne.

The fact that one of the members is a relative of the NHS CEO is irrelevant, said Frazer.

The final hospital improvement plan was sent to LHIN board last week and was debated Tuesday. Also included in the new recommendations is six holding beds for the urgent care centre, this would allow doctors to hold patients for up to 48 hours rather than transfer them to one of the three remaining emergency rooms.