Health-care challenges and accomplishments discussed at Health P.E.I. annual meeting Nov. 17
The challenges facing P.E.I.’S medical system took the spotlight at Health P.E.I.’S annual general meeting Nov. 17.
“This past year has been one hell of a year,” Health P.E.I. CEO Dr. Michael Gardam told the approximately 100 people attending the meeting at the P.E.I. Convention Centre in Charlottetown.
“Not only have we had a once-in-acentury pandemic … we’ve had all of the chronic challenges of our healthcare system and, of course, we’ve had the worst hurricane to ever hit the Island in recorded history. Wow!”
UNHAPPY STAFF
Derek Key, president of the board, who also spoke at the AGM, said when he assumed his role a little more than two years ago, it became clear quickly that Health P.E.I. staff weren’t happy.
To that end, the board has been working to improve its internal governance policies and to create an accountability framework to determine the roles of the Department of Health, relative to Health P.E.I., and the various other government departments Health P.E.I. must work with to accomplish its goals, said Key.
Health Minister Ernie Hudson acknowledged staff dissatisfaction as well.
“We are taking steps – steps that we probably should have taken previously, could have been taken previously, steps with regards to retention, recruitment and training,” sad Hudson at the meeting. “An external review of the hiring process of health-care workers and how it can be improved upon is underway.”
Also in the works are a 10-year health human resources tool and legislative changes that will hopefully pass this fall, he said.
HIRING ISSUES
Both Gardam and Key agreed that a real issue facing Health P.E.I. is the divided jurisdiction that makes processes like hiring slow going for Health P.E.I. and those involved.
Health P.E.I. is ostensibly “an arm’slength corporation responsible for the operations of and delivery of publicly funded health-care services in P.E.I.,” said Key.
“In reality, what was created was an entity that necessarily must cooperate and collaborate with the departments of health, the public service commission, transportation and energy, ITSS, treasury board and, of course, the legislative assembly for everything from recruitment to hiring to facilities to technology to scope of practice for our professions.
“What should be simple is unnecessarily complex and, in many instances, outside the jurisdiction of Health P.E.I.,” said Key.
Even so, this past year was a positive one for the health authority with significant progress made on its strategic plan, he said.
“But if we’re to avoid falling backwards or, worse, finding ourselves within a health-care system that is collapsing, as described in many of our sister provinces, I believe that it’s absolutely critical that the priorities of fundamental change in accountability and jurisdiction have to be addressed. They’ve been talked about for a long, long time,” said Key. “I believe we need jurisdictional changes, not structural changes.”
TIME FOR THANKS
The AGM was also an opportunity to acknowledge and thank the efforts of all of the employees at Health P.E.I., from cleaners and cooks to front-line workers, for their work over the past year.
Three were acknowledged at the meeting for their more than 40 years of work in P.E.I.’S medical system. They are among the 17 across Prince Edward Island each with at least four decades of work experience.
Key said Islanders owe a tremendous debt to all the folks who contribute to the health-care delivery system in Prince Edward Island.
“The point is every employee has a role to play and a contribution to make,” he said.