NLIS 19
March 30, 2004
(Health and Community Services)

 

Budget 2004 Outlines Health Blueprint for Reform

Elizabeth Marshall, Minister of Health and Community Services, today confirmed a new direction for provincial health and community services that was outlined in Budget 2004. The series of health reforms, aimed at protecting the sustainability of a publicly-funded system, will create a foundation for safe, quality and accessible health and community care.

"Provinces across the country, regardless of their financial situation, are grappling with the best way to meet the ever-increasing demands on the system in the absence of sustainable federal funding," said Minister Marshall. "Reforming our current practices isn�t an easy road, but we must start now to ensure health care is where and when we need it, both now and in the future."

The four key initiatives include:

  • Creation of regional integrated health authorities. Board integration will occur in the coming months, providing integrated and smaller corporate structures to better reflect the population base of our province.
  • Development of a Location of Services plan to bring a balance of quality, accessibility and sustainability to our health services delivery system. Provincial standards will be developed to protect and ensure quality patient care, protect accessibility to care and ensure health authorities make evidence-based decisions to meet the health needs of each region.
  • Development of a skill mix framework to ensure health and community services employees practice to their highest level of training.
  • Adopt a best practices culture to continually evaluate the programs and services we currently deliver and build upon the achievements in other jurisdictions.

Initiatives will be rolled out over the coming 18 months, beginning with a new structure for regional integrated health authorities and the development of consistent provincial standards for health and community service delivery.

"Our health and community services system needs to evolve to ensure it�s in-step with the most progressive practices across the country," added Minister Marshall. "We are going to take the appropriate amount of time to build a solid foundation for a sustainable system."

Media contact: Carolyn Chaplin, Communications (709) 729-1377

BACKGROUNDER

Health Blueprint for Reform

Primary health care renewal
Primary health care is the first point of contact consumers have with the health and community services system. Improving primary health care is an important part of affecting positive change in Newfoundland and Labrador�s health care system. The government is committed to building a stronger foundation of front-line health and community services throughout the province.

Primary health care renewal will create networks that allow physicians, nurse practitioners, public health officials, social workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other care providers to work together to provide comprehensive and accessible care to communities. Newly created health teams will provide a continuum of services from promoting wellness, mental health, prevention, testing and diagnosis to basic treatment and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Patients will benefit through improved access to a continuum of family health providers who will provide care when and where they need it. Providing greater access to front-line health care will reduce the strain on hospitals and emergency rooms in our system.

In 2000, the federal government launched the Primary Health Care Transition Fund to assist provincial and territorial governments with transitional costs as they renew their primary health care systems. Newfoundland and Labrador�s share of this funding is $9.7 million. To date, seven proposals have been accepted. This year, the government will spend $4.3 million to support the implementation of primary health care initiatives.

Integrated governance structures
Our health and community services system needs to evolve to ensure it is in-step with the most progressive practices across the country. The government will create new regional integrated health authorities (RIHA) to provide safe, quality and focused services that achieve the best health outcomes with minimum duplication and fragmentation.

Community health services will be combined with institutional and nursing home services to create a single, accountable authority to ensure people within their boundaries have access to the care they need.

Aligning our corporate structure with our population needs will improve long-term planning and allow us to direct more health care dollars where they are needed � in patient care.

Other Canadian jurisdictions have recently moved to regionalized governance structures. In 2001, British Columbia moved to five regional authorities and one provincial health service authority responsible for specialized referral service. Saskatchewan went from 32 regions to 12 in 2002, and Alberta went from 17 to nine in 2003.

The structure and funding allocations of the new RIHAs will be developed in the coming months. The existing 14 boards will continue to deliver existing services until a new structure has been defined.

Location of services
Newfoundland and Labrador�s demographics, population patterns and access to technology have changed, but the health and community services system has not been realigned to reflect these changes.

The government will begin a comprehensive initiative to develop a more flexible, co-ordinated approach to service delivery. A location of services plan will:

  • Set consistent provincial standards that result in more fairness and equity;
  • Better utilize enhanced technology to bring patients and those who treat them together more effectively;
  • Create centres of health excellence to better recruit and retain highly-skilled professionals;
  • Improve the quality and safety of the system through enhanced supports for health professionals and sufficient volume to maintain skills;
  • Respect the natural pattern of how our population seek services.

Set criteria including provincial standards, population density, distance, physician distribution, specialty service distribution and geographical challenges will guide the development of the plan.

Best practices review
To continue to build upon the good work of health care providers and administrators, our health and community services organizations must constantly demonstrate their ability to improve quality, control costs and demonstrate positive health outcomes.

The government will conduct periodic assessments of our current practices to benchmark itself against the best practices of other organizations and jurisdictions. Best practice reviews will include examination of clinical practice guidelines, workplace injuries, indicators for health outcomes and bed utilization rates.

Skill mix framework
As the baby boomer generation begins to retire, we are predicting a shortage of nurses and other care providers. We want our employees to practice to their highest level of training to ensure appropriate health services are available in the future when people need them.

The government will evaluate our current care delivery model in both nursing homes and institutions in comparison with the best practices throughout the country and introduce personal care attendants, in keeping with other jurisdictions. This will allow nurses and personal care attendants to work to their best advantage in the system.

Media contact: Carolyn Chaplin, Communications (709) 729-1377

2004 03 30                                         3:10 p.m.


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