By Bryan Eneas

PAPHR hosts final board meeting

Nov 22, 2017 | 4:00 PM

In a time of transition for provincial health, the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region (PAPHR) wrote the last chapter of its time in public health.

The final board meeting was held on Nov. 22 at their main office complex in Prince Albert. With the coming amalgamation of the 12 health regions into a single provincial health authority, the meeting marked the end of one chapter and the start of another for PAPHR CEO Cecile Hunt.

“Health is an ever-evolving system. It’s got lots of interconnected parts. It’s grounded in science, but it’s also grounded in emotion and pride and most of all, the thing we do very well is the delivery of healthcare to people who are vulnerable, who need those providers,” Hunt said. “Everyone comes together to provide the support and this service.”

During her final report as director, Cecile Hunt’s voice briefly broke during her thank-you’s to her counterparts at the meeting. Hunt said in her 11 years of service with the health region, she’s most proud of the level of care and service provided to residents in the region.

“It isn’t that we are perfect every day; we want to improve every day, and I think that has been our focus, and I know that will continue into the future. We have good staff, good volunteers,” Hunt said. “All of these people come together to ensure the very best for those we serve.”

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Hunt said on Dec. 4, when the health region closes its doors, residents who use PAPHR services will not see any changes.

PAPHR’s acting chair Bevra Fee said residents in the region will still be going to the same hospitals and the same emergency rooms they’ve always used. Many of the proposed changes within the amalgamation will affect management and behind the scenes work.

Fee said she was filled with a deep sense of pride when she reflected on the work the health region has done in her five years of service.

“I’ve been very proud of the things we’ve done in Prince Albert, such as the family treatment center as well as the residents we’ve built to help attract, recruit and retain physicians and other health staff,” Fee said.

Fee said she sees the upcoming transition to a single health authority as the government trying to do what they feel is better for the residents of Saskatchewan.

“I think there was the thought something could be done better, and more efficiently, and I commend the province for going down that path,” Fee said. “They’ve got some examples they can learn from, and I know a lot of people have doing a lot of work to try and lay good groundwork and good framework so that this can be a successful transition to a single health authority.”

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @BryanEneas