News Release
1999-05
January 14, 1999
Health ministers announce funds for six Health Transition Fund projects in British Columbia
OTTAWA - Health Minister Allan Rock and British Columbia Health Minister Penny Priddy today announced funding for six innovative projects in the areas of home care and integrated service delivery in British Columbia. Minister Rock also announced funding for a national project to provide information for a national drug utilization model. All projects are under the federal government's Health Transition Fund.
The projects will test and evaluate a range of initiatives such as new approaches in delivering home care to frail seniors and psychiatric patients; the use of a model to assess the appropriateness of acute care and patients' satisfaction; and the integration of postpartum care and lactation support into the health care system.
"These and other innovative projects are part of the groundwork which will contribute to the modernization of the health care system, " said Minister Rock "The evidence they will provide on what works well in home care and in the integration of health care will result in better and more efficient health care for Canadians."
"These projects will further our goal of developing new and better ways to deliver health care services in British Columbia," said Priddy. "The funded projects will be designed, delivered and evaluated by health practitioners working in our health regions to meet local health priorities."
The six projects will receive $1.5 million, under the Health Transition Fund. The national project, announced by Mr. Rock, will receive funding of $380,000, under the same fund. In September 1998, five additional projects in British Columbia received funding under the Health Transition Fund, totalling $13.7 million.
The Health Transition Fund was established by the federal government in 1997 in response to a recommendation by the National Forum on Health. It is designed to generate information and evidence on the organization, funding and delivery of health services in four priority areas -- home care, pharmacare, primary health care and integrated service delivery.
Evaluation results from projects will be shared with the provinces and territories. The Fund provides $30 million to national level projects and $120 million to provincial and territorial projects allocated on a per capita basis.
Announcements about further national, provincial and territorial projects will be forthcoming.
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Media Inquiries
Derek Kent
Office of Allan Rock
(613) 957-1515
Communications Branch
British Columbia Ministry of Health
(250) 952-1887
Public Inquiries
(613) 957-2991
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