Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 57 • Issue 44
NRHA reveals $3.4 million deficit during Northern Health Summit BY KYLE DARBYSON KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
TASK FORCE DELIVERS LOOK NORTH REPORT NEWS - PAGE 2
WAPANOHK BREAKFAST PROGRAM GETS MUCH NEEDED DONATIONS NEWS - PAGE 3
NORTHSTARS COME CLOSE BUT STILL WINLESS SPORTS - PAGE 7
Health care representatives from all over the province piled into St. Joseph’s Hall on Oct. 24 for the Northern Regional Health Authority’s (NRHA) annual Northern Health Summit. This all-day event featured presentations from certified physicians and some of the NRHA’s top brass, including CEO Helga Bryant. During a lunchtime annual general meeting, Bryant provided the attendees with an overview of the organization’s accomplishments and setbacks throughout the last year. During the first part of the meeting, the NRHA CEO showcased some of the organization’s recent achievements in Thompson, like how they opened a new chemotherapy treatment unit in the general hospital, put the finishing touches on the Hope North Recovery Centre for Youth, and cut wait times at the emergency response department by a significant margin. “Over the last three months our visits to the ER have increased exponentially. I would say some 70 or 75 per cent,” said Bryant. “And in spite of that huge increase in visits, we have reduced the time that patients wait by about 30 per cent. So I’m really really proud of the work that is being done in the Thompson ER, and every staff member that works in that department.” However, during the “finances” section of the
AGM Bryant revealed that the increased cost of providing this kind of acute care is eating into the organization’s bottom line for the fiscal year that ended last March 31. Compared to the $200,537 surplus that the NRHA was sitting on in 2016, this year they’re facing a deficit of $3,439,094. According to Bryant, the reason that expenses have eclipsed their revenue can be boiled down to “price and volume.” “We heard this morning, from the panel, [about] the
huge needs around diabetes care, the prevention health promotion that needs to be done,” she said. “But then there are costs. The hydro bill for the NRHA goes up just like our personal household hydro bills go up. So it is just purely a function of the cost of doing business and the volume of care that we provide.” These overarching concerns about balancing cost versus patient care bled into the meeting’s question and answer section as well. Local graphic designer Volker Beckmann asked
why conflicting signage continues to permeate many local NRHA facilities. To illustrate his point, Beckmann mentioned how many NRHA buildings around town still carry the title of Burntwood Regional Health Authority despite the fact this organization hasn’t officially used that name since 2012. “In branding terms we call that ‘poor brand management’ when you have people who come into your facility, especially when they’re new immigrants or let’s say a Cree elder, and one sign
says 'Burntwood Health’ and another one says something else,” he said. Bryant responded to Beckmann’s concerns by saying that this is not a unique problem for Thompson, and that they simply cannot afford to change confusing signage in places like Flin Flon, The Pas and even Brandon. “There has just not been the funding support to do that,” she said. “And when we’re faced with decisions around patient care or signage, patient care wins every time.”
Getting immunized a good idea with bad flu season predicted this year BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
LISTENING CAN HELP MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES SPORTS - PAGE 7
Thompson Citizen photo by Kyle Darbyson NRHA representatives answer questions during the AGM portion of their latest Northern Health Summit. From left to right, Helga Bryant (chief executive officer), Shawn Hnidy (chief financial officer) and Cal Huntley (chair of the board of directors).
This year's flu season could be a bad one but there are still plenty of opportunities to get a free flu shot to help lessen your chances of coming down with the illness or reduce its severity if you do. "They're predicting a bad flu season this year," said Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) immunization co-ordinator Leslie Sraybash, who was at the Thompson Regional
Community Centre (TRCC) multipurpose room to give flu vaccines at a public flu shot clinic Oct. 30. "Saskatchewan's already had higher cases of flu numbers and then Australia had their flu season before us and they had one of their worst flu seasons in the past five or 10 years. We're recommending people come out early to get their flu vaccine." There is another public flu shot clinic at the TRCC today from noon to 6 p.m.
and again on Nov. 4 at the City Centre Mall from noon to 4 p.m. Anyone who is unable to make it those times can also get flu shots at Thompson pharmacies, or the Thompson clinic. Flu shots will be available at the NRHA public health office in the building next to the hospital beginning Nov. 6 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. daily on a walk-in basis with no appointment necessary. All that is required to receive a flu shot is a Continued on Page 9
Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Public health nurse Erin Murphy demostrates the technique for administering a flue shot on Northern Regional Health Authority immunization co-ordinator Leslie Sraybash.