• Under the Chronic Disease Prevention Strategy, the ministry has formed a Provincial Chronic Disease Alliance and started drafting evidence papers to track results of actions and interventions, thereby evaluating their potential to reduce the burden of disease.
• Evidence-based business cases have been developed for diabetes and congestive heart failure, and clearly show that better chronic care is critical to improving patient health status and sustaining the health care system.
• The government announced funding for conjugate pneumococcal vaccine and conjugate meningococcal group C vaccine. These vaccines are being introduced to higher risk population groups in April 2003, and will be integrated into the routine childhood immunization programs in July and September 2003.

• Government announcement February 24, 2003 that a new Fair PharmaCare plan would come into effect on May 1, 2003. Fair PharmaCare provides financial assistance for eligible prescription drugs, based on families' ability to pay.
• In January 2003, government announced its intent to pursue a public private partnership (P3) to build a new hospital and cancer centre in Abbotsford. Clinical services continue to be provided by the publicly-funded health care system.
• The Patient Service Delivery Framework was developed to create policy for private sector partnerships for delivering clinical services under the Canada Health Act.

Goal 3: A Sustainable, Affordable Public Health System
Objective 3: Appropriate organizational capacity to manage the health care system and efficiently deliver necessary services.
Strategies:
• Implement an information technology plan that incorporates shared, standardized business systems across regions.	Underway
• Restructure the regional health services delivery system.	Completed
• Reorganize the Ministry of Health Services to better support the health system.	Completed
• Implement a definitive accountability strategy that includes: — Clear expectations for performance, — Performance contracts for health authorities, — Routine reporting and monitoring, — Comprehensive assessment using agreed upon performance indicators, and — Opportunities for support and assistance for performance improvement.	Completed
• With the Ministry of Health Planning, develop and implement efficiency mechanisms for the Medical Services Plan, PharmaCare, laboratory services, ambulance and regional programs.	Underway
• Review the provision of ambulance services.	Underway
• Work with the health authorities and professional associations to implement strategies to support effective and appropriate use of the health care workforce.	Underway (Moved to the Ministry of Health Planning)
• Establish a Leadership Council of health authority CEOs and senior government officials, to provide overall guidance and leadership to the health system.	Completed
• Manage within the three-year funding target.	Underway

Achievements:

• Developed and published the following plans: Information for Health — A Strategic Plan for Health Information Management in British Columbia 2002/03 – 2006/07 (Dec. 2003) and Framework for an Electronic Health Record for British Columbians (Jan. 2003)
• HIV/AIDs service contracts were transferred to health authorities in April 2002. Administration and management for direct service contracts, including funding for the Aboriginal Health Initiatives Program, was transferred to health authorities in December 2002.
• Health system redesign planning and implementation are taking place in all health authorities. Performance agreements were introduced in 2002/03. A monitoring framework is being developed for each service, including acute care, mental health services, population and preventative health, and home and community care.
• Government announcement February 24, 2003 that a new Fair PharmaCare plan would come into effect on May 1, 2003. Fair PharmaCare provides financial assistance for eligible prescription drugs, based on families' ability to pay.
• Reviews of laboratory services and the ambulance service were conducted with recommendations expected in 2003.
• An Inter-professional Rural Placement Program (IRPP) is underway to provide team clinical education for medical, nursing and allied health students. The HSPnet development project, a Web-based system for clinical education matches, is complete. The province consulted with the six health authorities and conducted an environmental scan of health human resources to provide a solid basis for long-term health human resource planning.
• Regular meetings of the Leadership Council, comprised of health authorities, CEOs and senior ministry executive, has enhanced communication and collaboration between government and its system partners.

Performance Measures

Regional financial status (health authorities in a balanced budget position at year-end)
(Goal 3: PM#2)

To ensure BC's health care system is sustainable, it is essential that expenditures on health care delivery by system partners remain within budget. This measure is intended to signal that each of the five geographic health authorities (HA's) and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) must ensure that their expenditures do not exceed their revenues over the three-year period of 2002/03 – 2004/05.

Results

2002/03 – 2003/04 Target	2002/03 Actual	Status
Expenditures will not exceed revenues	All health authorities are in a surplus position.	Met target

Source: Finance and Decision Support Division, Ministry of Health Services