News Release
2003-15
March 28, 2003
Minister Wayne Easter and Minister Jamie Ballem announce $6.5 million to strengthen primary health care in Prince Edward Island
CHARLOTTETOWN - On behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Federal Minister
of Health, the Honourable Wayne Easter, Solicitor General of Canada and Member of Parliament
for Malpeque and the Honourable Jamie Ballem, Minister of Health and Social Services, today
announced that the Government of Canada is investing close to $6.5 million in initiatives
designed to ensure that Prince Edward Island residents have access to high-quality, affordable
and sustainable primary health care services.
Primary health care is the first level of care and the initial point of contact that a
patient has with the health system. Often, primary health care begins with the family physician
or community health nurse. Primary health care is meant to be the first step in the continuum
of care, with multi-disciplinary health care provider teams emphasizing health promotion,
illness prevention, chronic diseases management and providing a link to more specialized
care, such as that provided in hospitals. The Government of Prince Edward Island will use
a portion of this funding to:
- establish family health centres which include a collaborative practice of multi-disciplinary
health provider teams;
- develop and implement a strategy for health living and an improved drug utilization
strategy;
- expand an integrated palliative care strategy; and to,
- implement videoconferencing for clinical care, and patient and provider education.
"This funding will improve the ability of Prince Edward Island to integrate initiatives
aimed at both health promotion, and injury and illness prevention," said Mr. Easter. "These
changes will result in better health outcomes for Island residents which, in turn, will
relieve pressure on their health care system."
"The people of Prince Edward Island want, and deserve, a health care system that meets
their needs in their home communities," said Minister Ballem. " Through Primary Health
Care Redesign, we are working with our Health Regions, and health professionals to improve
access to health services, promote health and wellness, and to strengthen community services
which prevent, reduce and manage illness. New initiatives, such as Family Health Centres,
allow for health professional teams working in collaborative practise, to work on an ongoing
basis with the people they serve, for individual solutions to individual health needs."
Funding for today's announcement is provided under the $800-million Primary Health Care
Transition Fund (PHCTF) which was established in September 2000 by the Government of Canada
to support the efforts of provinces and territories to develop and implement transitional
primary health care reform initiatives as part of the overall renewal of Canada's health
care system. The PHCTF also supports Canadian initiatives that address challenges faced
by several jurisdictions and health stakeholders.
A renewed primary health care system would have the following features:
- More primary health care organizations that are accountable to provide a prescribed
set of comprehensive services to the populations they serve.
- Multi-disciplinary provider teams within these primary health care organizations.
- Better coordination and integration with health services available elsewhere, such
as home care, mental health services and hospitals.
- Greater emphasis on health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and chronic diseases
management.
- Improved access to essential services, 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.
As recently announced in the Government of Canada's 2003 budget, federal support to health
care in Canada will increase by $17.3 billion over the next three years. This support will
be $34.8 billion over five years, which includes a $9.5 billion increase in transfers to
provinces and territories over the next five years and a $2.5 billion immediate transfer,
among other directed funds.
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Media Inquiries:
Farah Mohamed
Office of Anne McLellan
Minister of Health
(613) 957-1694
Connie McNeill
Health and Social Services
Prince Edward Island
(902) 368-6172
Ryan Baker
Health Canada
(613) 954-4807
Public Inquiries (Health Canada):
(613) 957-2991
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