Glen Abernethy

Just to be clear, we have utilized this tool in the Northwest Territories, and we did make it available, and we did provide resources so that people could use it. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of uptake, and I think that's important to remember. Although it has been available, there was not a lot of uptake. With respect to the tools that have been developed around alcohol, in the new wellness plan, the draft wellness plan, which I just want to be clear is still only draft format, we are waiting for feedback from committee on how we can make it stronger, we are creating an...

We are not in this one alone. We work with Aurora College, who runs a really fantastic Nursing Program here in the Northwest Territories. We are also working with Aurora College, who is delivering, on our behalf, what is referred to as, I am going to get the title wrong, but it is basically a rural and remote recruitment program or a training program for nurses, to help those nurses who live here develop the advanced practice skills that they need, things like diagnoses, assessments, suturing, setting bones, and those types of things, so that they can actually do the work of the community...

I am only going to talk about community health nursing, because I believe that that is the focus that the Member has. When it comes to filling community health nurse positions, we are trying to fill all of the positions all of the time. When we know that there is going to be a short-term vacancy between hiring, or for a holiday leave, or one of those things, we try to find locums to go. We have a pool of locums who have identified that they are willing and are available to us, so we can bring those people in.

We don't prioritize one community or one region over the other. We want all of these...

Like any travel, people should usually take their own basic toiletries and personal grooming items. All of the boarding homes that we contract with do provide bed sheets and pillows and towels. Our 2017 medical travel guide, which has been shared with Members, is available to medical travel patients, and inside that document it actually provides tips on the types of things that individuals should bring with them when they travel. I would encourage anybody going to medical travel to look at that toolkit and make sure that they are bringing along items that they may need.

The process around guardianship has changed. We put some policies in place around that. Training has occurred for many of the individuals. I can't say that every individual has received that training, but every individual will receive that training. When the deputy minister met with committee in December, he outlined a number of the actions in the Auditor General's report that we have actually take action on and completed. There was a significant list there. Since then, we have even more action items that we have completed. We have committed to providing updates and reports to committee, and...

The menus that are provided by the Vital Abel are actually approved by a dietician. The boarding home also maintains compliance under the Food Establishment Safety Regulations under the Public Health Act, so they are inspected from time to time. I think the important note here is that the menus are approved by dieticians.

The quality improvement plan isn't just based on the Auditor General's report. It is based on the recommendations from the Auditor General's report. It is based on our findings from our own internal audits. It is based on input and guidance and recommendations we got from the committee. It will be based on input and guidance that we get from other parties. Throughout the entire process, the document itself has grown far beyond just the document that is responding to the Auditor General's recommendations. That is what I was referring to. As far as other information, the committee yesterday made...

Thank you Mr. Speaker. The boarding home is up to code with the Fire Marshall and environmental health officers.

There are 80 items in the action plan. Those action plan items come from the OAG, from committee, and from work that we have done on our own audits. I can't actually, off the top of my head, remember if that is one of the items that has been finalized, but I have made a commitment to the Member and committee that I will get them an update of where we are on the action items, and I will do so.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier, there are four areas where we are concerned that we may not meet the March 31st deadline. I don't have the details in front of me. I know that, most of the areas, we have actually completed already. I have committed to getting the Member and committees an update of where we are. It will include that information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.