By Angela Hill

Health budget has money for improvements

May 19, 2011 | 6:57 AM

There was excitement from board members and staff over the 2011-12 Prince Albert Parkland Health Region budget.

It’s being called a good news budget because of the funds set aside for new initiatives, new equipment and new buildings.

“Oh, I think it is a great news budget,” said Jerri Olson, one of the health board members.
“It’s nice this year to be able to go out to the people in our communities with some of what they’ve been asking for.”

Out of the $200.2 million budget, most of which goes to employee wages, $3.5 million was allotted for new initiatives.

The region plans to hold community consultations before spending about $575,000 as part of a strategy to expand the primary health care hours for evening and weekend services.

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“Our goal is to have community consultation in the communities of Spiritwood and Big River prior to the implementation of any of our allocated resources,” said Cecile Hunt, CEO of the health region.

It is important for the region to know what the communities need, she said.

Long-term care was also remembered in the budget with funding allotted to additional long-term care capacity and more staffing in long-term care, particularly to the behavioural management unit at Herb Basset Home.

An additional $100,000 was allocated by the budget for physician recruitment.

“To, perhaps, create new ways … of identifying some successful strategies and we’ll be looking at those options throughout the regions,” Hunt said.

“(We’re) looking at what brings them to our community and more importantly, what helps them stay.”

All of these initiatives are about having better patient care and creating safer environments for patients and staff, she said.

In the budget, about $2.6 million has been allotted for new technology and equipment. Victoria hospital is getting equipment for the fourth operating theatre, replacements for aging laboratory equipment and a fluoroscopy unit. There is new laboratory equipment also going to Spiritwood, Hafford and Big River.

Extended care homes across the region are set to receive a variety of lifting, patient safety and comfort equipment.

Using previously announced funding from the Ministry of Health the region was able to create a list of capital planning for the 2011-12 year.

Along with construction of the Shellbrook and District Integrated Facility, Family Treatment Centre, in Prince Albert, and Pineview Terrace Lodge, the region plans to do renovations to aging infrastructure throughout the region.

Through this plan, roofs and flooring will be replaced, nurse call systems will be put into some long-term care facilities, upgrades made to fire systems and there will be an expansion to the nursery capacity in the obstetrics ward at Victoria Hospital.

See related: Health board approves annual budget

ahill@panow.com