Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. I do appreciate that there is a huge chunk of employment in this department that is not in Yellowknife. However, as we have adapted to COVID, we've seen we've been able to move to a more virtual and online world, so 82 positions that all sit in headquarters. Perhaps at some point, there could be a look to see if any of those could be moved out to communities, to give opportunities to people in other locations to rise up through this program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Debates of Feb. 25th, 2021
This is page numbers 2121 - 2162 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was health.
Topics
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As part of the department's business plan under this section, one of our goals was to increase local residency and implement our residency full-time. I always support increasing residency, and I believe the goal is to go from two residencies a year to four. Can I just get an update on when we expect to accomplish that, or whether we already have? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Member please expand on what he means by "residencies"? Thank you.
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The medical residency pilot, I believe, is about allowing doctors to do their residency in the North. Right now, we do two placements, I believe, a year, and the department's goal is to have four doctors completing their residency. That's my understanding of what the pilot program initially was and its intentions. Thank you.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thanks for that detail. Yes, I am aware that there is a plan to increase that, but I am not sure about the timing. I will turn to the deputy minister for that detail, please.
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Cooper
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are early in the process with the two residents, and certainly, we will be evaluating this. We don't have a firm date for expansion, but certainly, we are seeing lots of interest in coming here and anxious to do so in the coming years. We don't have a firm date for when that will happen.
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you. I would encourage the department to get a firm date. I know there are more and more people looking to do their residencies in the North. We actually offer quite a great practice experience for doctors. There are more and more benefits, such as student loan remissions available for doctors willing to come north. Another area in the department's business plan in this section is to increase employee engagement and satisfaction. Part of that work was to do staff surveys of all of the people in the department. Can I get an update on whether that was work we were already doing or when we will begin that work? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I note these aren't really budgetary questions, but we are prepared to answer any and all questions about the work of the department. I will ask the deputy minister to answer this, please.
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Cooper
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As part of the work in developing a comprehensive human resource strategy, there is engagement planned with staff. There are some surveys that have been completed. There is some data that already exists from program evaluations, which is being reviewed by the staff at the health authority. In addition to that, there is a group being compiled which is made up of frontline staff, and we are looking for deep representation throughout the authority. That will help guide us through other engagements that we will do to ensure that the strategy, once developed, is representative of the issues that staff have identified.
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that the human resources function for the health authority actually lies within the Department of Finance, and there is a goal to kind of create a few units that work together. I am looking at the $6 million a year we plan to pay to human resources. I see last year that it has gone down $400,000, and it was gone down $700,000 from the actuals. To me, if one of our mandate items is to work on recruitment and retention, there are quite a lot of priorities under the human resourcing of health for this department. Why has that budget decreased? Thank you.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. I think that there are a number of things that are happening in here. They don't actually relate to that HR unit that you are speaking of, to the best of my knowledge. My knowledge is not as great as the deputy minister's knowledge, so let's ask him.