| New Era Commitment |
Status |
Action |
| Maintain this year's overall $9.3 billion
budget for health. |
Done |
Health budget was increased in 2002/03. |
| Provide health regions and hospitals with
3-year rolling funding commitments (updated annually), to enable
them to plan and act with certainty. |
Done |
3-year rolling funding commitments were
provided to health authorities with the 2002/03 budget. |
| Fund health regions at a level necessary
to meet the needs of the people who live there, regardless of
where a service is provided. |
Done |
Overall funding for health authorities increased
by 7.8% in the 2002/03 budget. Also, population needs-based
funding was implemented for the 2002/03 health authority funding
allocations. |
| Fulfill BC's obligations under the Canada
Health Act to properly fund and provide access to all medically
necessary services. |
Ongoing |
Health funding was increased in the 2002/03
budget and health authorities have been provided three-year
funding commitments. |
| Focus funding on patient care, by reducing
waste in the system and eliminating administrative duplication
and costs from provincial government mismanagement. |
Done |
The number of health authorities has been
reduced from 52 to 6 to achieve greater efficiency; and the
health ministries' administration budget is being reduced by
more than 40 per cent so those resources can be redirected to
patients. |
| Work to minimize inter-jurisdictional overlaps
that are adding confusion and costs to health care delivery. |
Done |
The number of health authorities has been
reduced from 52 to 6, to provide greater efficiency and coordination
within regions. |
| With IGR and Finance, negotiate with the
federal government to restore all of the health care funding
withdrawn through budget cuts. |
Ongoing |
The First Ministers Accord on Health was
completed in February 2003. The Accord will result in an increase
in federal funding for health services. |
| Protect existing levels of access to abortion
services throughout the province. |
Done |
Funding and access to abortion has been
maintained. |
| Support community services volunteers and
repeal legislation that allowed government to expropriate community
health facilities without compensation. |
Done |
The section of the Health Authorities Act
allowing assets to be seized without compensation was repealed
in August 2001. |
| Fully fund and implement the $125 million
mental health initiative. |
Done |
Government is implementing a $263 million
mental health commitment, including the $125 million mental
health plan and $138 million for capital and facilities. |
| Provide expanded home care and palliative
care services to assist chronically and terminally ill patients
with supportive home environments as an option to institutional
care. |
Ongoing |
Health authorities have implemented housing
options such as assisted living residences and supportive housing
units. They are also increasing the number of hours provided
to high care needs clients receiving care at home. Palliative
care services are being provided at home, including medications
and supplies thus decreasing the need for facility admissions.
These initiatives are allowing clients to remain as independent
as possible in their own homes. |
| Ensure that patients living at home in palliative
or long term care are entitled to the same pharmaceutical benefits
as they would have if they were in a hospital. |
Underway |
The government has introduced a new Palliative
Care Benefits program to support seniors and other individuals
who are terminally ill by providing medication, medical supplies
and equipment at no charge to clients in their homes. |
| Provide better home support and home care
services. |
Ongoing |
New provincial standardized assessment tools
for home care and residential care have been successfully tested
and validated. The ministry has mandated the use of the assessment
tools as part of health authority performance expectations.
These new tools provide a comprehensive assessment of client
needs and will result in the right care being provided to the
right client at the right time. The tools are a critical component
of effective case management, planning, resource allocation
and outcome measures. |
| Work with non-profit societies to build
and operate an additional 5,000 new intermediate and long term
care beds by 2006. |
Underway |
As a first step, Independent Living BC was
established in April 2002 to develop 3,500 supportive living
units. |
| Intensify efforts to promote wellness and
preventative care through better education, dietary habits and
physical activity. |
Ongoing |
Government funding for physical fitness
and amateur sports has been increased and total funding will
double over 4 years, and ministry activities have intensified
to address physical activity, healthy eating, obesity and injuries.
MOHP has initiated Action Schools! BC, a best practices physical
activity model designed to assist elementary schools in creating
school action plans to address physical activity and healthy
living. MOHP has also facilitated the formation of the Provincial
Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance with non-governmental stakeholders
to address the risk factors of physical inactivity, unhealthy
eating, obesity and tobacco. MOHP continues to work with health
authorities in the development of a directional policy document,
which addresses physical activity and healthy eating. The Provincial
Health Officer will release a special report on prevention of
falls in the elderly this summer. |
| Increase emphasis on early childhood intervention
programs for families with special needs children. |
Done |
With MCFD, the ministry improved access
to assessment and diagnostic services for children with autism.
Funding for early childhood and family development increased
by $20 million (MCFD). |
| Enhance preventative drug and alcohol efforts,
such as addiction counseling for new mothers and the reduction
of fetal alcohol syndrome. |
Ongoing |
Government has joined the Prairie Northern
Pacific Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Partnership. In addition, an
addictions framework is being developed that includes alcohol,
drug and FAS prevention. |
| Increase locum support to relieve pressure
and reduce workloads to enhance health care professionals' quality
of life. |
Done |
Utilization and funding of the Northern
and Rural Locum Program has increased. In addition, in March
2003 government implemented an interim Rural Specialist Locum
Program ($1 million) to help specialists secure subsidized periods
of leave from their practices to undertake continuing education
or vacation. |
| Replace obsolete hospital and ambulance
equipment and ensure all equipment is fully utilized and properly
maintained. |
Ongoing |
Ambulances have had new cardiac defibrillation
equipment installed (all 454 ambulances now have defibrillators).
Health authorities receive $115 million annually for capital
improvement projects and equipment
|
| Give ambulance attendants better access
to training. |
Done |
The government funded communication upgrades
and training for 1,500 new recruits and part-time personnel
for Paramedic Level 1, ensuring more timely and effective emergency
care, particularly in rural and remote communities. |
| Increase technology funding and digital
infrastructure support to facilitate telehealth options that
will expedite and improve treatments and reduce travel requirements
for Northern and rural residents. |
Underway |
Government is funding $15 million in telehealth
programs across BC, with federal and local partners, including
the new BC Telehealth Project launched in February 2002. The
programs provide emergency and trauma, pediatric, maternity
and mental health services for 30 communities. |
| Build a unified, universal and cost-effective
health services information network that will improve care and
reduce costs. |
Underway |
The Health Chief Information Officers Council
was formed in April 2002 and has produced a five-year Strategic
Plan for Health Information Management in BC and a Framework
for an Electronic Health Record for BC. The CIO Council is chaired
by the CIO of the health ministries and consists of the CIO's
from each of the six health authorities. |
| Give all citizens better access to their
medical records and treatment histories, and enhanced information
privacy rights. |
Underway |
The Health Chief Information Officers Council
has published a Framework for an Electronic Health Record for
British Columbians (January 2003). |
