SMA president Dr. Joanne Sivertson said the organization has felt their voices have been heard regarding new investments, but previous decisions continue to affect current situations.
“We appreciate the current fiscal climate, and therefore the small increase in this year’s budget is better than a cut. Unfortunately, it will become increasingly difficult to make up the lost ground in per capita health care spending that the province has experienced over the past six years.”
Dr. Sivertson advocated for improvements in access to mental health and community-based services, along with improved access to patient data.
With 12 different health regions came different systems of classifying information, and standardizing systems to improve communication and avoid redundancy has been an oft-cited goal of the new health authority.
Sivertson stated the SMA looks forward to being at the table with government and the SHA.
