Glen Abernethy

We've been very clear since the initial discussions around health transformation that this isn't about saving money, necessarily. This is more about improving the quality of care that we're providing to our residents by removing some of the barriers that exist for them today. We do know that there's a number of functions that occur in each of the authorities, that by working together we'll be able to control our costs and possibly have some savings, but mostly this is focused on improving our care for the residents of the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the legislation has given us the authority to move to one authority in the Northwest Territories, as well as the Tlicho and Hay River Health authorities, was passed in May/June. It was initially intended to go live on April 1, but as a result of a number of factors including our difficulty getting the financial system for use by all the authorities; some delays we experienced during the election campaign; communication; and our ability to set up those wellness councils; and our delay in hiring a CEO -- I’ve decided to move forward the go-live date to August...

The homecare review that we're doing right now isn’t dependent upon the federal government. We're doing that work because it's necessary. Once we complete that work, we’ll be in a better position to actually have a conversation with committee and the public about how or what needs to be done around homecare. I wouldn't think it's too much of a stretch to assume that we need to look at our programs and provide different, maybe alternate training, than we currently do, so that we can help people age in their communities, which we know is better for patients and residents and clients to stay in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have an Aging in Place Strategy that we're following here in the Northwest Territories. Actually, in the previous Assembly, we had already agreed to go out and do some work to review homecare services in the Northwest Territories. That review is currently underway. Once that review is done, I have an opportunity to speak to committee on how we can actually enhance homecare services here in the Northwest Territories, whether it's through new programs or whether it's through modified programs, but it needs to focus on providing services in communities...

I’d need to confirm. The information I'm familiar with suggests that we will take ownership of that building in March 2017, at which point we will start moving into an official opening of the building. I don't believe a date has been determined, but I will talk to the CEO to see which date she is working on.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we need to look for any avenue to help us. Traditional procurement might be appropriate in some communities and regions; it may not be in others. Our minds need to be open to pretty much any option. The federal government is a potential other partner. In the previous government, I'd been asked whether or not we would be supportive of private businesses coming in and setting up longterm care facilities. This is something that we're supportive of. There's no reason somebody couldn't come in and start up a longterm care facility if they wanted. At the same...

We do have the Territorial Admissions Committee that actually helps us in focusing and prioritizing individuals, so individuals with higher needs can move up the list, but as I have indicated, we have a significant shortage of beds. Currently, I believe we're about 60 beds short here in the Northwest Territories, and that will be part of the 259 that we're going to be short by 2026. We're working with CAP, we're working with Avens on coming up with some solutions in the shortterm for Yellowknife. But this isn't just a Yellowknife problem. We've got problems in the Beaufort-Delta where we have...

One of the things we are attempting to do with this health transformation is remove some of the barriers that exist today as one individual moves from authority to authority to authority to get the different services. As we tighten up our services, come with more standard procedures, more standard guidelines, as well as clinical standards, we should be able to improve the turn-around and more importantly, the response and the care that our residents get.

Last year I convened a meeting of Aboriginal leadership from across the Northwest Territories and had discussion around this exact topic. We sought input and advice from them, as well as other stakeholders from across the Northwest Territories on what the makeup of those committees should be. We are just in the process right now of doing some call letters out to the different organizations, including MLAs, on nominations for individuals to go on those wellness councils, based on the work that was done. Once that's done, we'll move forward with the establishment of those wellness committees.

Homecare services that we provide are a wide range of services. Not of all of it is nursing services. We do provide homecare nurses in a number of communities and regions throughout the Northwest Territories, but we do provide home support workers in every community in the Northwest Territories, with the exception, I believe, of two. We actually have contract relationships with those communities to provide some of those services. It may not be practical to assume that we'll ever get to a position where we can have a homecare nurse in every community of the Northwest Territories, but we are...