Health and Community
Services
January 18, 2010
Health
Ministers Work Together to Benefit Atlantic Canadians
Atlantic Health Ministers
met in Halifax on Friday, January 15, to collaborate on
ways to benefit the health of Atlantic Canadians.
Ministers signed a
Memorandum of Understanding ensuring cancer patients
receive radiation therapy within eight weeks of being
ready-to-treat. Provinces will support each other with
therapy services, if they are unable to meet the
timeline.
"Guaranteeing timely
access to radiation therapy now and into the future is
our commitment to cancer patients and their families,"
said Nova Scotia Health Minister Maureen MacDonald.
"Government has made
significant investments in cancer care and our priority
is providing patients with the care they need when and
where they need it," said Newfoundland and Labrador's
Minister of Health and Community Services, Jerome
Kennedy. "We will continue in our province to strive to
meet the four-week national wait time benchmark for
radiation therapy. This Memorandum of Understanding
demonstrates our desire to work together to provide
timely treatment for Atlantic Canadians."
"Today's signing is an
indication of the government of P.E.I.'s commitment to
patient services," said Prince Edward Island Minister of
Health and Wellness Carolyn Bertram. "I'm pleased this
agreement resulted as part of Prince Edward Island's
patient wait-time guarantee pilot project and can be
used as a template for future collaborative work."
New Brunswick Health
Minister Mary Schryer said collaboration among the
provinces is important. "New Brunswick is committed to
the delivery of a sustainable health care system which
is patient centered and focused on the delivery of
quality and timely services. This Memorandum of
Understanding complements our province's vision."
In Ottawa, Leona Aglukkaq,
federal Minister of Health, said she is pleased that
federal wait-time guarantee funding has helped to
support this important work.
"Today's agreement goes a
long way toward strengthening health care for Atlantic
Canadians," said Ms. Aglukkaq. "It represents another
solid step in our collaborative effort to ensure that
Canadians have timely access to quality health care when
they need it."
Ministers publicly
acknowledged the tremendous efforts and dedication of
the Atlantic health-care sector in responding to H1N1.
They focused on vigilance and lessons learned for future
emergency preparedness and planning.
Ministers also spoke of
collective interests and best practices with a focus on
pharmaceuticals, quality of care and patient safety,
wellness and chronic disease management. They also
acknowledged the work underway in Atlantic Canada in
mental health with Ms. MacDonald offering to host a
mental health summit in Nova Scotia.
"I think there is great
potential for us to work together to find ways to
promote more community-based care," said Ms. MacDonald.
All ministers agreed that
the collaborative steps being taken not only strengthen
their position when dealing with the federal government
and health-care agencies, but also ensures that Atlantic
Canadians continue to benefit from quality and safe
practices in the health-care system.
The next Atlantic Health
Ministers' meeting will take place in the summer.
- 30 -
Photo: New Brunswick
Health Minister Mary Schryer, Nova Scotia Health
Minister Maureen MacDonald, Prince Edward Island
Minister of Health and Wellness Carolyn Bertram and
Newfoundland and Labrador's Health and Community
Services Minister Jerome Kennedy met in Halifax on
Friday, January 15.
The Ministers signed a Memorandum of
Understanding ensuring cancer patients receive radiation
therapy within eight weeks of being ready-to-treat.
Provinces will support each other with therapy services,
if they are unable to meet the timeline.
Media contacts:
Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Health
and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-2646
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca
|
Avril Vollenhoven
Nova Scotia Department of Health
902-424-3731
Avril.Vollenhoven@gov.ns.ca
|
Hillary Casey
New Brunswick Department of Health
506-457-3522
Hillary.Casey@gnb.ca |
Darlene Gillis
Prince Edward Island Department of Health and
Wellness
902-368-6172
ddgillis@gov.pe.ca |
2010 01 18
9:40 a.m.
|