Yes, Mr. Chairman, thank you. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present the Department of Health and Social Services’ Main Estimates for fiscal year 2009-10.
The department is requesting just over $313 million, an increase of approximately $3 million over last year, which is an increase of just about 1 percent.
Mr. Chairman, the department is committed to effecting significant changes consistent with our Integrated Service Delivery Model, ISDM, including refocusing on health promotion, preventative
services and primary care, improving information management and technology, standardizing processes and lessening our dependence on costly institutional care, and maximizing the efficient use of our health care providers in a way that is congruent with our small population size.
Mr. Chairman, this budget will enhance our approach to primary community care to ensure clients receive appropriate, accessible, effective and quality care at the right time by the most appropriate provider in the most economical way. As the Minister of Finance stated in his budget speech on February 5, 2009, for Department of Health and Social Services, “strengthening prevention programs will be a major focus of our work. Putting more dollars into our health care system is only part of the answer. We can all help reduce health care costs by taking more responsibility for our own health. We need to encourage Northerners to stop smoking, drink less, eat a proper diet and exercise more.
The
government has a role to play, but so do individual Northerners.”
To that end, I will be coming forward with a Minister’s action plan for reforming the way we deliver health and social services in the Northwest Territories. I look forward to discussing this in greater detail with the Standing Committee on Social Programs.
Strategic Initiatives
The department will continue to advance a number of initiatives under the government’s Strategic Initiatives Committees.
Through the Building Our Future Strategic Initiatives, we have five initiatives that are being funded and advanced. They are as follows:
Expanding Programming For Children And Youth
•
An additional $64,000 for In-House Respite
Program for 2009-10, in addition to $224,000 from 2008-09.
•
This
initiative
provides an essential “time-out”
for parents and caregivers of children with special needs.
•
Work has also begun to develop a Framework for Children with Disabilities.
Key non-
government partners as well as other government departments are working together in this framework process.
Encourage Healthy Choices And Address Addictions
•
We are supporting the Healthy Choices
Framework with $350,000 for 2009-10. This investment will fund a health promotion specialist and focus on activities that enhance supports aimed at encouraging health lifestyle choices such as physical activity, healthy eating, being smoke free, and avoiding high risk activities.
•
We are implementing a healthy eating initiative in three Beaufort-Delta communities.
•
To address the mental health and addictions issues for youth we have developed a social marketing, resiliency programming and life skills programming.
•
Immunization is recognized as one of the most cost-effective public health interventions in prevention and control of disease. This year the department will implement the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination program in the NWT.
The federal government has
provided a $388,000 vaccine trust for the NWT to implement and fund the program for 2009-10.
•
The successful Don’t Be a Butthead campaign will also continue this year.
Implement Phase II Of The Framework For Action On Family Violence
•
Actions under Phase II of the Framework for Action Against Family Violence has been developed in a cooperative manner with the Coalition Against Family Violence. Phase II will build on the successes of the first phase and focus on expanding services to smaller communities to alleviate further impacts from family violence and prevent family violence by providing treatment to abusers and services to children who witness family violence.
•
Eight hundred thousand dollars has been
allocated for the implementation of phase II.
Strengthen Continuum Of Care
•
The demand for homecare and community
care is growing and there is a need to ensure that the NWT has a sufficient number of workers to meet this demand. To address an identified training gap, we plan to implement an eight-month Nursing Assistant Diploma Program in cooperation with the Dene Nation and Aurora College. This program will train candidates for the position of home support workers and resident care aides.
•
The government will support our residents with dementia through the opening of the Territorial Dementia Facility, which is scheduled for completion in 2009-10; $1.462 million has been allocated in 2009-10 budget for the operating of the facility.
•
The Hay River Supported Living Campus for adults with cognitive and behavioral challenges will address the need for appropriate social contact, life skills programming, behavioural support and personal care needs. This budget includes an additional investment of $538,000 for the operation of this purpose-built campus with day program as it becomes fully operational.
Through the Managing this Land Strategic Initiative, departments of Health and Social Services, Municipal and Community Affairs and Environment and Natural Resources under Protect Territorial Water Initiative will work to increase public education on water issues. We will also undertake a continual release of an annual water quality report, develop a website and materials to assist with public education.
The department’s
contribution to this initiative is $95,000.
Through the Refocusing Government Strategic Initiative we will strengthen service delivery through the successful implementation of the new health information systems. These systems are new tools which would support patient care and safety as well as achieving a more financially sustainable health care system. I would like to highlight the following initiatives and their status:
Interoperable Electronic Health Record, IEHR – Phase 2, implementation, started in 2007-08 and is expected to be completed in 2009-10.
Planning for the Diagnostic Imaging/Picture Archiving and Communication System, better known as DI/PACS, began in 2005-06, implementation activities began in 2007-08 and the planned three-year rollout will be completed in 2010-11. In 2009-10 we will continue the rollout of these systems to community health centres.
Communities that will receive this new technology, computed radiography readers, CRs, in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are:
•
Aklavik
•
Deline
•
Fort Good Hope
•
Fort
Liard
•
Fort
McPherson
•
Fort
Providence
•
Fort
Resolution
•
Fort
Simpson
•
Ulukhaktok
•
Lutselk’e
•
Norman
Wells
•
Paulatuk
•
Behchoko
•
Gameti
•
Sachs
Harbour
•
Tuktoyaktuk
•
Tulita
•
Whati
The order of rollout will be decided in collaboration with the authorities and will depend largely on site readiness and the suitability of the GNWT digital communication network, DCN, in different regions of the Territory.
To ensure efficient and effective access to NWT Rehabilitation Services across the NWT, the Telespeech program has been a priority for the department. Since 2006-07, investments have been made to establish four regional rehabilitation teams across the NWT. Without Telespeech capacity this investment would not achieve its full potential in effective use of resources. The deployment of a total of 15 new or replacement tele-video consultation units, five health centres, 10 schools, will take place in 2009-10. Communities receiving the units include:
•
Norman Wells (school)
•
Deline
(school)
•
Paulatuk (2) (school and health centre)
•
Tulita
(school)
•
Fort Good Hope (school)
•
Inuvik
(school)
•
Tuktoyaktuk
(school)
•
Ulukhaktok
(school)
•
Sachs Harbour (health centre)
•
Tsiigehtchic (health centre)
•
Fort McPherson (2) (school and health centre)
•
Aklavik (2) (school and health centre)
New Program And Initiatives 2009-10
Mr. Chairman, in addition to the above strategic initiatives the department has a number of other initiatives we are working on.
Seniors Action Plan
The department will continue to fund the NWT Seniors’ Society through a contribution agreement. Funds are being used by the NWT Seniors’ Society for the following activities: Seniors’ Information Line, Seniors’ Advisory Council, Seniors Awareness Week, Canada Senior Games and community outreach programs.
Chronic Disease Management
The department, in consultation with key NWT stakeholders, is finalizing the NWT Diabetes Strategy. It is proposed that, upon consultation with the standing committee, this strategy be implemented through a pilot project in two authorities in 2009-10.
Cancer Screening
Cancer is now the leading cause of overall mortality in the NWT. Significant impacts on cancer mortality can be achieved through well-organized evidence-based screening programs to detect cancer at the earliest possible stage when treatment is more likely to be curative. Some types of cancer are on the rise in the NWT, such as those of the large intestine, colorectal, and of the lungs, which are considered for the most part to be preventable. We have increased our cancer screening programs and have implemented a cancer registry.
The
maintenance of the NWT cancer registry is done in partnership with the Alberta Cancer Board, where most NWT residents with cancer receive diagnosis and treatments.
We have expanded our Breast Screening Program to Hay River and an estimated 450 to 500 women will be screened every year.
We are funding
Stanton Territorial Health Authority to test the elements of an organized screening program against colorectal cancer, and we currently have a protocol for conducting testicular cancer screening in the Community Health Nursing Program Well Adult Clinic.
We are also working with Health Canada to implement a screening mammography service in Hay River. This service will be a part of the Territorial Screening Program and will have a common database with Stanton Territorial Health Authority. In Supplementary Appropriation No. 3 we will be seeking to draw down funding from Health Canada’s Patient Wait Times Guarantee Pilot Project Fund to fund this program.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)
Public Health Agency of Canada has provided funding for the hiring of a sexual health coordinator that will work with regions to implement components of the STI Strategy. One hundred thousand dollars from the Pan-Territorial Health Access Fund has also been allocated to develop an STI website and to develop some mass-media public STI education materials in partnership with the other two territories.
Healthy Choices Framework
The department will continue to carry out health promotion and prevention activities including: coordinated programming, interventions and public messaging on physical activity, healthy eating, mental health and addictions, tobacco harm reduction and cessation, injury prevention and high-risk sexual behaviours.
Addictions Initiatives Related To Aftercare
The department will provide $450,000 to establish culturally appropriate community treatment options for youth, along with a targeted media campaign that will highlight and promote community based addiction aftercare services. The intention is to build community-based programming that could include on-the-land treatment and aftercare programming, healing camps and mobile treatment. I look forward to working together with the Members of the House as we focus our resources and change how we do our work in this important area.
Lastly, Mr. Chairman, we have heard loud and clear from Members who brought forward a motion and from the public who may be affected, that changes to the Supplementary Health Benefits Policy requires more work. I would like to take this opportunity to announce changes to the policy will be delayed until April 1, 2010…
---Applause
…in order to facilitate a comprehensive review of the implementation tools necessary to advance the policy’s intent and to undertake full consultation with the Members of the House and stakeholders on the policy’s objectives and implementation.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my opening remarks and I would be happy to answer questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.