Working group eyes regional designation for Ste Anne hospital

While there’s no commitment to change the Ste Anne Hospital into a regional facility yet, a decision by the provincial government to explore the idea through the creation of a working group is a key first step according to Ste Anne Mayor Yvan St. Vincent.

“Were proud of the care provided here and believe this working group is a key step toward building a stronger, more collaborative health system that meets the needs of our residents today and into the future,” he said in a news release issued by the province Monday.

Mayors and reeves of Ste Anne, La Broquerie and Tache have been asking for a regional designation, saying it already acts in that role, and should be supported.

Their call for the change was also echoed by the Association of Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (AMBM), and Dawson Trail PC MLA Bob Lagasse.

In his column titled Report from the Legislature in the April 24 edition of The Carillon, Lagasse said population growth combined with the lack of the regional designation has put strain on the facility.

He argued that regional designation would allow it to broaden its range of specialized services, reception capacity, emergency services, and care programs while offering more competitive salaries.

Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara cast blame on previous governments in announcing the new working group.

“Ste Anne Hospital serves a growing and diverse population, yet its services were reduced under the previous government, and the facility struggles to maintain staffing levels,” they said. “Exploring the change to a regional designation needs to be informed by evidence, community input, and a sustainable plan to build up Ste Anne’s capacity over the long term in a phased and methodical way.”

The working group will include representatives from Manitoba Health, local municipal leaders, health-care professionals and community stakeholders. They will look at service capacity, infrastructure needs, staffing and long-term sustainability.

AMBM president Ivan Normandeau said the hospital has long served as a cornerstone of health care in in the Southeast, adding its evolution to a regional facility is logical and necessary.

“The AMBM welcomes the formation of this working group and sees it as a meaningful opportunity to build a sustainable, bilingual and regionally responsive health system,” he said. “We are committed to working collaboratively with the province and our municipal partners to ensure that Hopital Ste Anne Hospital receives the recognition and resources it needs to meet the growing demands of our bilingual communities.”

Public consultations will also be part of the process, though exactly what a regional hospital looks like is unknown.

Southern Health, in a March statement, said there are no official guidelines that define the parameters for regional designation.

However, they added that the three existing regional centres in Southern Health, (Steinbach, Winkler and Portage) are considered health-care hubs with a minimum of 70 inpatient beds, full scope of diagnostics, surgery, CancerCare, pharmacy, dialysis and rehabilitation.

“Hopital Ste Anne Hospital is a 21-bed bilingual health centre,” they said as part of the March statement. “The centre is located 20 minutes away from Bethesda Regional Health Centre which is undergoing significant capital expansion to increase services and capacity to better support the growing community of Steinbach and surrounding area, including the community of Ste Anne.”