Health and Community Services
August 6, 2015
Innovative Approaches to Effective Health Care Delivery
Minister Announces Implementation Team for New Health Shared Services Organization
The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services, today announced the appointment of an implementation team to oversee the transition process of the new Health Shared Services Organization for Newfoundland and Labrador’s health care system.
“The appointment of this expert implementation team represents the latest step in our ongoing efforts to find innovative approaches to deliver high-quality sustainable health and community services to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Investments to modernize infrastructure, achieve economies of scale, and pool and build expertise will improve overall system sustainability for the long term.”
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services
The implementation team comprises Tony Wakeham, Chief Executive Officer, Labrador-Grenfell Health, who will serve as team lead; Denise Tubrett, Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Health and Community Services; and Ron Johnson, Chief Information Officer, Eastern Health. The biographies of these individuals can be found in the backgrounder below.
The implementation team has been mandated to:
- Proceed with the implementation of supply chain management;
- Develop a detailed implementation plan that includes refinement of savings and identification of impact on positions; and
- Develop a detailed transition plan and organization structure to support the full integration of supply chain, human resources, finance and payroll, marketing and communications, and information technology and telecommunications.
In delivering on its mandate, the implementation team will engage staff at the Regional Health Authorities and the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information to seek input in building the detailed implementation and transition plans. Work will begin immediately, focusing first on supply chain management.
“Provincial health care funding represents approximately 40 per cent of the total provincial budget. We will spend $5,087 per person providing health care services this year. A new shared services model has the potential for savings between $18 million and $26 million after five years and aligns with our government’s 10-year Sustainability Plan.”
- Minister Kent
The new provincial Health Shared Services Organization, announced in Budget 2015, will administer the purchasing, human resource, information technology and telecommunications, marketing and communications, and finance and payroll function of the Regional Health Authorities. It will also assume all the functions of the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre of Health Information.
QUICK FACTS:
- The Provincial Government has appointed an implementation team to oversee the transition process of the new Health Shared Services Organization.
- The implementation team comprises Tony Wakeham, Chief Executive Officer, Labrador-Grenfell Health, who will serve as team lead; Denise Tubrett, Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Health and Community Services; and Ron Johnson, Chief Information Officer, Eastern Health.
- The implementation team will engage staff at the Regional Health Authorities and the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information to seek input in building the detailed implementation and transition plans.
- Work will begin immediately with a focus first on supply chain management.
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Media contact:
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Tina Williams Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 728-2837 tinawilliams@gov.nl.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
Biographies of Implementation Team
Tony Wakeham
Tony Wakeham assumed the role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with Labrador-Grenfell Health on August 1, 2012. He is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland (Economics), and completed a program in Health Services Management with the Canadian College of Health Services Executives. He has many years of senior level experience in health care management, including Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Health Operations, Department of Health and Community Services (2008-2012); Vice-President of Corporate Affairs, Central West Health Corporation (1994-2004); Assistant Executive Director, Hospital Services, Clarenville Area Hospital Board (1990-94); and Manager, Budgeting and Auditing, Department of Health and Community Services (1984-1990). He also served as internal auditor with the Department of Finance (1982-84) and auditor with the Department of the Auditor General (1980-82). From 2004-08, he was employed as President of Chelsea Food Services Ltd. He has served on the board of the Canadian Paraplegic Association, and has been president of both the Newfoundland and Labrador Basketball Association and Basketball Canada. He currently serves on the board of the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information.
Denise Tubrett
Denise Tubrett is currently the Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Services with the Department of Health and Community Services with responsibilities for Acute Health Services, Emergency Response and Nursing Policy, Long term Care and Community Services and Capital Infrastructure Management. Prior to this current role, Denise held senior level positions in the public service of Newfoundland and Labrador including Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services in the Department of Health and Community Services; Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services in the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment; and Departmental Controller in the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment. In addition, Denise has held various management positions in the Department of Finance and the Office of the Auditor General. Denise has over 20 years of experience working in financial management, program delivery and policy development in the public service with the last six years in the Department of Health and Community Services. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours (co-operative) and a Masters of Business Administration from Memorial University, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. Denise currently serves on the board of the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information.
Ron Johnson
Ron Johnson currently sits on the executive team for Eastern Health as the Chief Information Officer. He has overall responsibility for Health Information Management, Information Technology, Clinical Engineering, Telecommunications, Capital Equipment Planning and Budgeting, and Decision Support for the entirety of Eastern Health. Prior to this current role, Ron was the Chief Technology Officer at Eastern Health and had overall responsibility for Information Technology, Clinical Engineering, Telecommunications, Capital Equipment Planning and Budgeting. Previous to that, Ron held the position of Director of Materials and Biomedical Equipment Support at Eastern Health and had overall responsibility for Supply Chain Management and Biomedical Engineering. Ron has over 20 years of progressive career experience in healthcare in various management roles. Ron holds a Diploma of Technology from College of the North Atlantic, a Bachelor of Technology and a Master of Employment Relations from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has also completed diplomas in Health Service Management and Modern Management from the Canadian Healthcare Association. Ron is also certified in Change Management and holds the professional designation of a Project Management Professional. In addition, Ron is also a sessional Instructor at the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland teaching courses in both the Bachelor of Technology and Masters of Technology Management programs.
2015 08 06 1:10 p.m.