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Prairie North Health Region passes status quo budget

May 25, 2017 | 12:14 PM

Prairie North Regional Health Authority (PNRHA) said the health region is staying status quo for its new budget in light of the province’s plans to restructure the 12 health regions in Saskatchewan and amalgamate to form one single health unit.

Chief executive officer David Fan discussed the new operating and capital budgets covering the fiscal year from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, following the Prairie North board meeting at Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) Wednesday. The board approved the budgets, which will now be sent to the Ministry of Health. 

“I think given the financial challenges of the province and the difficult budget we have received from the province, we have done well to put together a budget that does not call for any significant cuts or closure of programs and services,” Fan said. “But on the other hand, it doesn’t call for any new investment, simply because we just don’t have the financial resources to do that. So we have done well in terms of putting together a status quo budget.”

The board approved the operating budget of $290.5 million for 2017-18. Expenses are budgeted at $289.6 million. Following mortgage principal payments of $856,000, Prairie North expects to end the fiscal year with a small surplus of almost $10,500.

“Under the current highly challenging fiscal environment, we have introduced no new programs and added no new staff for the year ahead. On the other hand, we have not reduced nor eliminated programs and positions, other than those affected by the 2017-18 provincial budget,” board chair Bonnie O’Grady said in a statement. “For Prairie North Health Region, those are elimination of the Parent Mentoring Program and the podiatry program.

“To achieve a balanced budget in our final year, we will continue to focus on improving efficiencies throughout Prairie North Health Region (PNHR), while sustaining emphasis on continuous safety and quality improvement to ensure appropriate access to and delivery of patient – and family-centred care,” she said.

Fan said Prairie North administrators have worked to decrease operating costs.

“Over the years, we have made significant strides in reducing overtime and sick time costs. We’ve improved efficiency and lessened waste,” he said.

PNRHA board approved capital budgets totaling $7.9 million for 2017-18, comprised of $4.6 million to cover new or replace equipment, and $3.3 million for facility renovations and upgrades.

Fan said Prairie North is making “significant investment on the capital side” of its plans.

“We know Prairie North will be phased out in the next several months, but we want to go out to enter into the new Saskatchewan Health Authority in as good a shape as possible,” he said. “I think by all accounts we have accomplished that with a balanced budget.”

Some of the larger capital expenses include replacing two computed tomography (CT) scanners for the Battlefords Union and Lloydminster hospitals.

Other work includes replacing cataract surgical equipment at BUH. The hospital’s oxygen storage tank and improvements to its sewer-line system are also in the works. 

“Some parts of this hospital are over 50 years old and a lot of the infrastructures are aging and need to be replaced,” Fan said.

The authority also plans to purchase new tubs and/or chair lifts for River Heights Lodge in North Battleford and Northland Pioneers Lodge in Meadow Lake.

Also in the local region, fire panel upgrades will be made to BUH, Meadow Lake Hospital, and River Heights Lodge (NB).

The Meadow Lake Hospital will receive a new surgical table.

Long term

The long-term goal to replace Northland Pioneers Lodge in Meadow Lake will need to be a future project for the new amalgamated health authority when the restructuring is complete.

“Even though that project has been fully designed and all the planning work has been completed, because of the financial challenges of the province of several years, it remains basically unapproved, simply because there is no funding to proceed with it,” Fan said.

He added the province has committed to replacing the facility.

“This year we are going to be spending $65,000 to upgrade the fire sprinkler system. We keep putting good money into this facility, thinking that it will be replaced soon,” the CEO said.

Fan said Prairie North has been reinvesting funds continuing to upgrade the structure, but because it is at least 65 years old is will need to be replaced at some point in the near future.

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

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