Premierï¿½s Summit on Primary Health Care Underway

Executive Council
Health and Community Services
January 14, 2015

Enhancing Primary Health Care

Premierï¿½s Summit on Primary Health Care Underway

Over 300 health care professionals, stakeholder groups and residents are gathered in St. Johnï¿½s today to discuss important topics related to the delivery of primary health care in Newfoundland and Labrador at the Premierï¿½s Summit on Health Care. The summit follows two months of in-person and online consultations across the province. The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, opened the event today and was joined by the Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services.

ï¿½Improving and maximizing our access to the day-to-day health care services that we all need is essential to a sustainable, efficient and responsive health care system. Through todayï¿½s summit we are bringing together the key players in this equation like never before, and through a review of what we heard during our regional health forums and a series of interactive group discussions we will begin to shape a framework for the future of primary health care in this province.ï¿½
- The Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

During todayï¿½s event Minister Kent released a What We Heard document outlining the results of 13 consultation sessions, as well as numerous email and written submissions which have been received since the launch of the primary health care consultations in November 2014. The What We Heard document is now available online at: www.health.gov.nl.ca/summit/What_We_Heard.pdf

ï¿½Our government is listening to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is through the real life experiences of our citizens, our health care professionals and our stakeholder community that we can get a sense of what is working and what needs to be changed to make primary health care better for all of us. I am encouraged by what I am hearing today at the summit. We are at the beginning of this process and I look forward to continuing to advance this important issue in the coming months.ï¿½
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services

Also during todayï¿½s event, the Provincial Government launched a new video as part of the Understanding Changes Everything campaign which is designed to help raise awareness and to reduce the stigma that exists around mental illness and addiction. To access additional materials and videos from todayï¿½s event please visit: www.health.gov.nl.ca/summit/.

QUICK FACTS

Over 300 health care professionals, stakeholder groups and residents are gathered in St. Johnï¿½s today to discuss important topics related to the delivery of primary health care in Newfoundland and Labrador at the Premierï¿½s Summit on Health Care.
During the event the Provincial Government launched a new video as part of the Understanding Changes Everything mental health awareness campaign.
A What We Heard document outlining the results of the consultations is now available at: www.health.gov.nl.ca/summit/What_We_Heard.pdf . To access additional materials and videos from todayï¿½s event please visit: www.health.gov.nl.ca/summit/

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Media contacts:

Heather MacLean Director of Communications Office of the Premier 709-729-3581 heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca	Donna Ivey Special Assistant, Communications Office of the Premier 709-729-3551 donnaivey@gov.nl.ca
Hugh Donnan Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 725-6511 hughdonnan@gov.nl.ca

2015 01 14 2:40 p.m.

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