COLUMN: Report from the Legislature – Calling for regional designation for Ste Anne hospital

Manitoba needs to designate the Hôpital Ste-Anne Hospital as a regional hospital. Here’s why.

Currently, Hôpital Ste-Anne Hospital is recognized as an acute-care community hospital, a training centre for family medicine residents, and a designated bilingual healthcare facility. Despite not having the official designation, the hospital has operated from a regional approach since it opened.

The region has experienced huge population growth over the last decade, with the Town of Ste Anne seeing more than double the average increase among municipalities. This population growth, coupled with the lack of regional designation, has put strain on the facility.

Facing increased demand for healthcare and a shortage of bilingual health-care professionals, the hospital has had to limit their hours of operation. Limited access to healthcare leads to compromised continuity of care, increased wait times, increased pressure on emergency departments, negative effects on hospital staff morale, and harms other local health and social services that rely on the hospital to meet the needs of the local communities.

By giving it a regional designation, Hôpital Ste-Anne Hospital would dramatically increase its provincial funding, and allow it to broaden its range of specialized services, reception capacity, emergency services, care programs, and enable it to better distribute the pressure on emergency services. The hospital would also be able to offer more competitive salaries, allowing them to recruit more skilled bilingual healthcare professionals.

The Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM) and the region’s municipalities have stressed the importance of this regional hospital designation to the NDP government numerous times. Even though the NDP have said in past Throne Speeches that they recognize municipalities as key partners in the health and economic growth sectors, and that they will invest in “fixing” healthcare in rural communities, their actions say the opposite. By having still not provided Hôpital Ste-Anne Hospital with regional designation, they are proving just how little they care and value investing in and bettering our rural communities.

I will continue to advocate alongside AMBM and the local leadership until Hôpital Ste-Anne Hospital is given the regional designation it so rightfully needs.

For more updates and information, visit my website at boblagasse.com. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact my constituency office at ca.lagasse@outlook.com or 204-807-4663.