March 26, 1998
(Health)

FACTS SHEETS

1. Department of Health and Community Services integration initiation
2. $2.8 Million for the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program
3. Health Facility Construction

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FACT SHEET

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
INTEGRATION INITIATIVE

On April 1, 1998 Child Welfare and Community Corrections, as well as Family and Rehabilitative Services currently delivered by the Department of Human Resources and Employment will be integrated with the Department of Health to create the new Department of Health and Community Services. Services will be delivered through Regional Health and Community Services and Integrated Health Boards. The overall goals of the integration are to better co-ordinate services to individuals, families and communities; to focus on prevention and early intervention; and to enhance the service delivery system at the regional level.

Explanation and Impacts

- Child Welfare and Community Corrections include child protection, foster care, adoption, post-adoption, residential care, family support services, youth corrections (open custody), and alternate measures programs for youth.

- Family and Rehabilitative Services include direct in-home and community-based supports for children and their families, as well as adults with disabilities. It also includes day care, child care, neglected adults, and grants to community agencies, including Transition Houses.

 

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FACT SHEET

$2.8 Million for the Newfoundland and Labrador
Prescription Drug Program

The Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program is made available by Government to enable income support recipients, many senior citizens, and some low income residents, to access essential drug therapies. Financial demands on the Drug Program continue to increase. The current level of funding provided by Government for the Drug Program is $50 million. In recognition of increased demands, the government has committed an additional $2.8 million to the Drug Program. To ensure the Drug Program remains viable, opportunities for savings will continue to be pursued and coverage decisions will be soundly based and supported by expert medical opinion.

- Regional Community Health Boards were reconstituted and renamed as Health and Community Services Boards. The new constitutions now reflect the expanded mandate of the Boards to include delivery of community-based services. Of the Integrated Health Boards which fall under the Hospitals Act, Grenfell Regional Health Services Board has been mandated to also deliver these expanded services. At the provincial level, the Department of Health and Community Services will retain the current central authority relevant for each Board. For example, legal guardianship for child protection services will remain under the auspices of the Director of Child Welfare at the provincial level. The Department=s primary role will focus on policy development, standard setting, and monitoring.

 

- Responsibilities for governance at the regional level will rest with four Regional Health and Community Services Boards:

- St. John's Regional Health and Community Services Board

- Eastern Regional Health and Community Services Board

- Central Regional Health and Community Services Board

- Western Regional Health and Community Services Board.

Two Integrated Health Boards - Grenfell Regional Health Services Board and Health Labrador Corporation - will also assume governance responsibilities at the regional level.

- Integration of services with the Health Labrador Corporation and Western Regional Health and Community Services Board will be phased in over the next several months. As of April 1, 1998 employees of the Department of Human Resources and Employment in the Western and Labrador Regions will become employees of the Provincial Department of Health and Community Services. However, in the Western Region employees will be operationally responsible to the Western Regional Health and Community Services Board. This phased-in approach will allow for an appropriate and effective implementation of this initiative.

 

- While Regional Health and Community Services and Integrated Health Boards will become new employers for the vast majority of employees, and service delivery will be provided at the regional level. The role of the Provincial Department of Health and Community Services will continue to focus on policy development, standard setting and monitoring. There is, and will continue to be, an accountability function at the provincial level.

- Child Welfare and Community Corrections, as well as Family and Rehabilitative Services, will continue to be delivered from the current regional locations by the same personnel. There will be no interruption of services to clients.

- Full integration will be a developmental process which will take approximately 3-5 years to complete. Planning activities to date have concentrated on ensuring the administrative infrastructure, systems, and supports are in place to allow a smooth transfer. The next phase will focus on analyzing programs and services. Opportunities to build on the existing strengths of Health and Human Resources and Employment programs and services and to address program gaps will be identified. A structure has been developed to ensure regional, provincial and community-based input. A provincial/regional committee will be established to oversee this work and make recommendations regarding priority programming issues.

 

- An evaluation and accountability framework to monitor the integration initiative, as well as the ongoing programs and services delivered by the Regional Health and Community Services and Integrated Health Boards will be established by the Provincial Department of Health and Community Services.

- Ongoing linkages between the Department of Health and Community Services and the Department of Human Resources and Employment will be maintained to ensure a seamless delivery of services to clients who require both income support and labour market, as well as community-based services.

 

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FACT SHEET

Health Facility Construction

Many of the province's health facilities are no longer suitable for the services now being provided. This year, as a result of the $25 million provided under the Immigrant Investment Fund the province will be able to increase the level of funding available for hospital planning and construction.

1. Blue Crest Inter Faith Home, Grand Bank

Funding of $800,000 will allow for the planning and design of a new health facility in this area. The new facility will be constructed to accommodate long term care, diagnostic, ambulatory care and community health services on a single site. Long term care, ambulatory care and community health services are currently provided from three separate locations: Blue Crest Inter Faith Home, the Cottage Hospital, and rental accommodations. The nursing home and the cottage hospital have many physical and functional deficiencies.

2. Carmelite House, Grand Falls-Windsor

Funding of $600,000 will be allocated for the planning and design of a new long term care facility in Grand Falls-Windsor. A new facility is needed for the provision of long term care services to the area. Long term care services in Grand Falls-Windsor are currently provided from a facility which was formerly an AND Paper Company staff house and later a hotel. The building has many functional and physical deficiencies as a long term care facility.

3. Fogo Island Hospital Redevelopment

Funding of $700,000 will allow the planning and design of

the capital project on Fogo Island to begin. A modern

health facility will be constructed to provide long term care, acute care, diagnostic, ambulatory care and community health services. Health care services are currently provided from a wood frame building which was built in 1952 and has a number of functional and accessibility problems. The building has three stories, narrow hallways and stairs, and has no elevator or sprinkler system.

4. Bonne Bay Health Centre

Funding of $400,000 has been allocated for the planning and design stages of a new health care centre in the Bonne Bay area. A modern facility will be constructed for long term care, acute care and ambulatory care services. Health care services are currently provided to the Bonne Bay area from a two storey cottage hospital which was constructed in 1939. The facility has many accessibility problems, has no elevator, is extremely congested and is poorly laid out for the current and proposed services.

5. Connaigre Peninsula Health Care Centre, Harbour Breton

Funding of $4.3 million will allow for the construction of a new health centre to begin this year. A modern health centre will be constructed to accommodate long term care, acute care, ambulatory care services, diagnostic services and community health. The existing cottage hospital was built in 1935 and has many physical and functional deficiencies such as inaccessibility, mechanical and plumbing problems, and space inadequacies.

6. Melville Hospital Redevelopment, Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Government funding of $9.5 million will be provided for this year's continuing construction of a new health care facility. Health care services are currently provided from a hospital building owned by the Department of National Defence. Construction has started on a replacement facility in Happy Valley-Goose Bay; the $30 million project is cost-shared between the province and Voisey's Bay Nickel Company.

7. James Paton Memorial Hospital Redevelopment, Gander

Government funding of $5.6 million will be provided for the continuing construction of the James Paton Memorial Hospital. This facility was constructed in the early 1960's and is in need of redevelopment to address changes in services and technology. Construction is continuing on an extension and renovations to accommodate the services needed in the Central East region.

8. Site Consolidation in St. John's

The Health Care Corporation of St. John's has undertaken to consolidate services from the Children's Rehabilitation Centre, the Janeway Hospital, and the Grace Hospital to the Health Sciences Centre and St. Clare's sites. The new construction and renovations required will be funded from associated savings.

9. Dr. A. A. Wilkinson Health Centre, Old Perlican

The Department has provided approval for the Regional Health Institutional Board to borrow funding for the replacement of the old facility in Old Perlican. A new facility will be constructed and funded from associated savings. The role of this facility will change from an inpatient facility to a 24 hour clinic with holding beds. Services are currently provided from the 60 year old cottage hospital.

10. Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital, Stephenville

Government funding of $1 million has been allocated for the planning of a new health care facility in Stephenville. This funding will enable the programming stage to be completed and design work to commence so that construction of the facility can begin in fiscal year 1999-2000. The existing facility was constructed by the American Government in the early 1950's and has many functional and physical deficiencies.