Big changes are coming to the health system here in Manitoba.

 

Around 12,000 staff across the province will see their employer or contracting organization switch to Shared Health at the beginning of April, a move that the Pallister Government says will simplify the health system and lay the foundation for improved access and better care.

 

Doctor Brock Write, the CEO of Shared Health, says that the transformation is rooted in the need to improve the quality, consistency and efficiency of the health care services provided in Manitoba.

 

He adds that Manitobans pay more per capita than any other jurisdiction for a health system that is extremely complex, and that the complexity increases costs and impacts the delivery of care.

 

Karen Herd, the deputy minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living says that standardized approaches to the delivery of health care will improve our system’s ability to deliver services to Manitobans regardless of where they live.

 

She adds that each health care organization and many of the staff who deliver and support care across the province have contributed their expertise to the affects and their input will allow them to address long-standing challenges.

 

Northern Health Region CEO Helga Bryant says that the reshaping of the health system will be of great benefit to patients in the north, and that as services are better coordinated and organized the changes will improve the patient experience.