MESSAGE FROM THE CEO: Provincial Health Care Transformation – mapping health care’s future
As we move through provincial health care transformation, our Interlake-Eastern RHA communities and staff have been very patient in waiting for information on plans that will impact our region. I am thankful for your patience and promise that although we may not have all the answers right now, I will be sure to share whatever we know as soon as it becomes available.
What we know right now from Interlake-Eastern RHA’s work with our colleagues in Manitoba Health is that provincial health transformation is going through a “blueprint” and “road-mapping” process that will outline what the future system will look like and the path we need to take to get there. A Transformation Leadership Team, made up of rural and urban representatives, is leading this initiative to outline the roles and responsibilities of all health organizations and how they will work together as a whole.
As of April 3rd, Diagnostic Services Manitoba was officially aligned under “Shared Health”, the new planning body for preventive and clinical services across the Province. Through Shared Health, the province of Manitoba is developing a multi-layered plan that will align services to meet our province’s health need both now and in the long term. These recommendations are currently under review and will lead to the development of a province-wide structure for the delivery services such as lab services, EMS, emergency departments, mental health, primary care and much more.
The long-term focus of the plan is to ensure there are consistent health care services and access to those services across the province, no matter where you live in Manitoba. These recommendations are expected in to be finalized this spring with the final report to be shared with the public by mid-summer.
New physicians improving access to emergency departments
The recruitment of 19 new doctors to our region over the past year has already made a difference in our ability to delivery reliable health care. The Interlake-Eastern region is seeing a decrease in the number of hours doctors are taking calls in our emergency departments. With patients now being able to attach to care in clinics that are closer to home and get quicker access to appointments, there has been a drop in the number of less urgent cases coming through our emergency departments. Click HERE for more details in a recent news release on this great progress.
RHA working to add 240 personal care home beds across region
Access to personal care home beds has been challenge in our region for some time, with many long-term care patients occupying spaces in acute care hospitals. To address this shortage, work has been underway to get approval to build 240 new personal care home beds in the Interlake-Eastern region. A few months ago, the IERHA invited communities to submit formal proposals and six expressed interest to support personal care home beds. Our review of these proposals is now complete and our recommendations for best options are now with the Province for final approvals. Thinking to the future, we will use this opportunity to address the immediate crunch for beds and longer term needs. Once Manitoba Health receives final approvals, we will share the names of the communities that will provide the 240 beds we need.
Your Home Clinic is your “home base” for primary care
If you have regular primary care, your clinic has likely already registered as one of the Interlake-Eastern RHA’s 25 “Home Clinics”. In Home Clinics, all staff in the clinic work together to seamlessly work together to focus on you and your health care needs. This clinic’s team is your “home base”. Here, all your health records are filed on computer, so that all clinic care providers (and those you may be referred to) have access when they need them. They share information on your lab tests so that your information travels with you wherever you go. With your Home Clinic team working for you, you have a key source of care that helps you plan to be healthy and stay that way longer.
A New Way to Bring Health Care Home: MyHealth Teams
This year, Manitoba Health has set aside funding for our region to develop our very first of My Health Team (MyHT). A MyHT is the next evolution in provincial primary care. It is a formal arrangement where health care providers, the RHA and community organizations work together to provide a network of primary care providers who work as a team in a specific geographic area or population. The members of a MyHT are chosen to address any health care gaps that need to addressed in a specific area, and then filling those needs.
MyHT members can cross many disciplines and may include care providers such as: physicians, nurse practitioners, chronic disease nurses, registered dietitians, mental health workers, respiratory therapists, social workers, or physiotherapists to name just a few. It all depends on what needs exist in a community.
Once we’ve evaluated and finalized applications from various communities and care providers, we hope to announce the location of our first MyHT this May. Look for an update in the next issue of the Community Update. For more information, visit the Province of Manitoba’s Health Team page.
Interlake-Eastern is becoming a “destination” for doctors
The Interlake-Eastern region is becoming more and more popular with new physicians. In addition to the 23 new doctors who arrived in the region last year, we expect to see an additional 12 doctors arrive this year. Upcoming recruitment campaigns are also looking promising. Our “Home for the Summer” medical student program, that sees medical students with an affiliation to our region spend a summer working with us, was so popular this year that we have 25 registrants! That’s more than any other region!
REGIONAL HEALTH VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Local Health Involvement Groups: Have a Say About Community Health Issues
The Interlake-Eastern RHA is now accepting applications for the Local Health Involvement Group (LHIG) in your community! LHIGs explore and provide input to the Interlake-Eastern RHA Board of Directors on issues that impact the delivery of local health services. We believe people living in our region should have a say in the decisions that affect them. By talking about ideas we can make health services in the Interlake-Eastern RHA better for everyone. Check out our bilingual LHIG website for more information about how you can apply to be part of one of three LHIGs across the Interlake-Eastern region. http://www.ierha.ca/default.aspx?cid=6103&lang=1
CAMP STEPPING STONES: Helping Children Dealing with Grief
This June, the Interlake Eastern RHA’s Camp Stepping Stones will enter into its 15th year of providing a supportive camp experience for children who have suffered the recent loss of a loved one. Each year since 2004 approximately 50 kids have come to Camp Stepping Stones, a children’s grief camp for ages 7 to 17 held the first weekend in June at Camp Arnes.
To make Camp Stepping Stones a reality each year, over 30 volunteers are needed to help out as cabin leaders, activity leaders, camp nurse and more. Volunteer recruitment is now underway for various positions lasting just one day or the entire weekend. Camper applications for this year are due April 27th. For more information or to find Camp Stepping Stones camper or volunteer applications visit the Interlake-Eastern RHA website at www.ierha.ca under Palliative Care/Additional Services in Communities or contact Camp Stepping Stones directly at 1.855.494.7369 or campsteppingstones@ierha.ca
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
The Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority’s Community Update is distributed quarterly to communities across our region. If you have any comments or questions about this publication, please contact: Cynthia Thoroski, Communications Associate, Interlake-Eastern RHA at (204) 785-4766 or cthoroski@ierha.ca