A Preeceville delegation concerned about physician recruitment and retention in the community met with the board of the Sunrise Regional Health Authority in Yorkton on June 29.
A community action committee has been formed to support physician recruitment and retention in Preeceville, said an account of the meeting which summarized highlights.
“The meeting dialogue was positive, with all looking forward to the October arrival of two new physicians,” the summary said. “In answer to questions about emergency and acute inpatient services, the group learned that the health region must first consult with three physicians and nurse practitioner to determine what is possible.
“There was general understanding that the go-forward plan must support retention of physicians and predictable, dependable services for the people of Preeceville and area,” it said. “The health region and group will formalize their connection to ensure ongoing positive dialogue.”
Don Rae, the interim chair, reported on activities for the previous month which included pre-budget and provincial budget day meetings, it said. Throughout the month were meetings with the provincial governing council, 3sHealth, board committee meetings and attendance at the provincial strategy monitoring wall.
Suann Laurent, president and CEO, presented her report highlighting constant improvement on hand hygiene with the newest audits showing an overall compliance rate of 84 per cent and some facilities achieving 100 per cent compliance.
In the coming months, Sunrise Health Region will work to improve public knowledge about HIVand to encourage people to get tested to know their HIV status, the summary said. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the virus that can lead to acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV weakens a person’s immune system, the body’s built-in defense against disease and illness.
It is estimated that in Canada one in five people with HIV do not know they have the Disease, it said. There have been significant advances in HIV care and with early identification and the right treatment, people with HIV can lead a healthy life, and pose no threat to the general community.
The board accepted the resignation from board member Bob Drayer, who had been a member of the board since October 2015.
At the April meeting, the board reviewed five proposals to finance $1.25 million in lease agreements for information technology projects, it said. A proposal and a seven-year agreement with MacQuarie Equipment Finance, Ltd. was accepted.
Governance process policies were reviewed for locally generated funds and the terms of reference for the Community Health Advisory Committees. There were no changes made to either policy.
Policy compliance reports were received for investments, resident trust accounts, requests for information and records management.
The board reviewed the draft capital plan which will be considered for approval along with the 2016-17 budget, at a special meeting on July 20.
The Information Services Plan was presented to the board. A collaborative approach was used during development of the plan so that all portfolios are represented when looking at the information service needs of all programs and services in the health region.
The Client Safety and Critical Incident Report was received. The top five areas of client safety concern are, in order: falls, medication, client care management events, and assault/altercation.
From October 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 there were 281 fewer incidents than the previous six months, the summary said. Critical incidents include situations with the potential for preventable harm or where actual death or injury occurred that could have been prevented. All critical incidents are thoroughly investigated and recommendations from each investigation are implemented to prevent the potential for future harm.
The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled for September 28.
