Northern Health Region Boosts Budget

Northern Health Region Boosts Budget

Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 13:08

 

 

A health region in northern Saskatchewan has announced its spending plans for the coming year.

 

The Mamawetan-Churchill River Health Region will operate with a budget of just over $20 million — an increase of $1.38 million from last year.

 

New initiatives include providing community support to people with addictions in La Ronge.

 

Mental health services are also being enhanced with a new counsellor in Sandy Bay and Children’s Action Plan initiatives in Pinehouse.

 

In addition, the health region hopes to access funds for an outreach worker in Children’s Mental Health Services for the La Ronge area.

 

CEO Kathy Chisholm says her organization also plans to establish a new Employee and Patient Safety Co-ordinator position.

 

Chisholm hopes the new position will help prevent situations like the one that saw nurses in Sandy Bay flee the community in late 2005.

 

The nurses temporarily left the Sandy Bay clinic because they felt threatened by some intoxicated youth.

 

Security arrangements at the clinic have been beefed up since then.