Health minister announces new Primary Care Advisory Committee

Minister of Health and Community Services Julie Bettney announced today the establishment of the Primary Care Advisory Committee (PCAC). This advisory committee to the minister will examine issues related to the delivery of primary health care by family physicians throughout the province. Primary health care is the first point of entry into the health system. It is the level where family medicine is practised, where health promotion and prevention are a priority and where people receive supportive and rehabilitative services.

Minister Bettney appointed Kathy LeGrow as chairperson of the committee which will perform its work during the fall, simultaneously with regional health forums launched earlier this week. The committee is expected to have a report for the provincial health forum which will take place in Gander on November 28, 2001.

Primary health care reform involves many health professionals and types of services. One of the key elements is the way family doctors are integrated into the primary care model. The Primary Care Advisory Committee will focus on physician issues including the most effective way to compensate physicians and improving communications through electronic medical records. It will also explore ways to better integrate medical services with those provided by other health and community services professionals throughout the province.

"Health systems across the country face similar challenges, not the least of which is financial sustainability," said Minister Bettney. "Better integration of services, improved support for health promotion and disease prevention and a greater recognition of the various factors which influence the health and well being of people will lead to an improved, more effective publicly-administered health system."

While the PCAC will address issues directly related to family physicians, our province has been examining issues related to the broader primary health care agenda such as promoting inter-disciplinary health teams, use of innovations like telehealth to overcome service delivery challenges in remote communities and the importance of appropriately using the skill sets of different health care providers. The work of the PCAC will feed into the larger primary health care reform and renewal planning process in this province.

Media contact: Carmel Turpin, (709) 729-1377

Kathy LeGrow has been president of Steers Limited since 1997, a property management and real estate business. Previous to this, she was director of operations at INTRA LeGrow�s Travel, family court counselor/mediator at the Unified Family Court and social worker/director of work therapy at the Waterford Hospital. Ms. LeGrow is extensively involved in community work. Some of her involvement in recent years includes roles as chair and trustee of the Avalon East School Board, member of the Board of Directors and chair of the Art Procurement Committee of the St. John�s International Airport Authority, founding member in the eastern region of Newfoundland for the Strategic Social Plan Development Group and a member of the advisory board on Climate Change of the Canadian Public Health Association. Kathy holds a bachelor of arts from Dalhousie University and has completed work towards a master of social work degree at Memorial University.

Primary Care Advisory Committee (PCAC) Membership