The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Dear Editor, I was pleased to attend the community forum on health care held here on Dec. 1. I believe it was an important step as we work together to improve health care for all residents of Flin Flon. I share the concerns expressed at the forum on the need to improve doctor services in Flin Flon and address the apparent lack of communication and public consultation on the part of the RHA. I know the Minister of Health, Theresa Oswald, also shares these concerns. The Minister of Health has indicated that there will soon be a review team named to review the operations of the NOR-MAN Regional Health Authority; the goal being to find ways to improve community engagement and public communication going forward as well as to review the other operational issues which have developed during this period. The Minister has assured me that this review will be undertaken by a team of independent health professionals, as a third party, with vast experience in the operation and governance of Manitoba's health system. The Minister of Health has agreed that having the operational review underway in the near future is important and has committed to making sure this happens. The matters brought forward at the public forum were recorded by Manitoba Health staff to be communicated to the committee and to help establish the framework for the review. I understand that the organizers of the recent forum are also collecting and documenting concerns. I know that the review team will be accepting this kind of information and I encourage the organizers to submit their findings to the review team when they begin accepting submissions. Feelings are strong in our community and people rightly have strong personal feelings about the delivery of their health care. It will be critical that the upcoming review be led by an independent team. As your MLA I will continue to advocate for our constituency, but I will not prejudge the outcome of the review. As MLA for Flin Flon, I will continue to encourage a fair and meaningful process. I believe that this review will help our region move forward. It is important that as a community we make our voices heard through the review process. We also must allow the processes taking place to reach their conclusions. The review, as well as other processes that are taking place related to health care in our community, need an opportunity to be fully completed. I have been asked to intervene in some of these current issues. However, regardless of my personal feelings and views in these matters, it would be inappropriate for me, as your MLA, to interfere in any issue which is before the courts or which is subject to review by the committee. As the operational review takes place, I will put my time and energy into seeing that people of our constituency are heard and that at the end of the process we come together as a community, with positive solutions, to move our region forward. Regards, Gerard Jennissen MLA, Flin Flon
