Moment with the Mayor: Health

Hi Neighbours:

During the last two weeks, I have been stopped on the street and received phone calls and emails expressing concern about recent changes at the Kindersley Clinic. I have spoken with Heartland Health Region, the Ministry of Health, and reached out to physicians of the clinic to get background, and what I have learned exposes the instability and fragility of effective health care delivery in Kindersley. It also reinforces the need for the Kindersley Health Services Needs Assessment (KHS NA). The primary outcome of this assessment is to identify a solution to stabilize and strengthen the delivery of healthcare in Kindersley. At this time, I don’t know what the solution looks like. Here are the outcomes for the KHS NA as outlined in the contract:

i. Determine the state of primary health care and community perspectives on the health determinants that affect the community.

ii. Improve communication and build trust between Heartland Health Region and local stakeholders.

iii. Increase the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Heartland Health Region and local stakeholders including the Municipality, the local health foundation and others.

iv. Deliver a primary health care health needs assessment for Kindersley and the surrounding municipalities.

v. Produce a draft report indicating priority areas to meet primary health care service needs in the community for review and feedback by the Committee.

vi. Produce a final report.

vii. Communication with stakeholders throughout the process to ensure transparency.

viii. Create a joint communication plan for the public for the results/finding of the assessment.

We need stable and strong health care delivery in Kindersley and we are working towards that goal.

Often, I have been asked what we can do to help the Physicians’ Group (PG). In short, the PG is a private entity that operates according to the PG’s goals and values just like a law firm, accounting firm, an insurance firm with partners, etc. However, they can have a significant impact on the community as we have experienced in recent years. The KHS NA is a tool to identify ways to ensure the PG and Heartland Health can be successful. The PG has a tough job and I am glad they are working for us.

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.