Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Mar 17/99) - Doctor Keith Best has officially been is his position as head of the Keewatin Regional Health Board for about three months now and says there are two areas he's identified as being enormous in terms of the amount of work needing to be done.

Best says the health board is focusing on trying to strengthen its infrastructure which, in part, will help to strengthen its delivery system.

"We're working on those two things, on building and strengthening the team and, in part, that will help deal with some of the morale problems we've been experiencing," says Best.

"Really, what we're doing is a clean up job. We're trying to get the system to the point where we can start to really maintain and enhance our delivery and infrastructure sides. That's where our efforts are at right now and that includes trying to get the right people to come up here and work and also starting to build from the local level."

Best says team building is critical for the Keewatin health-care system and it's a high priority for the health board to see more people from within the various Keewatin communities start to fill health-care positions.

"We have begun an action plan and I would think in about three months or so I'll be able to release more details about our endeavours. We're very optimistic in achieving these goals and my reading on the situation is that there's a good feeling we can make them work."

Best was also instrumental in recently helping to solve an emergency situation with the financially troubled Ublivik Inuit Centre in Winnipeg, a boarding home for Keewatin patients and relatives who travel to the western city for medical treatment.

The centre has a sterling reputation for being one of the best of its kind and has been operated for the past 30 years by Gloria Penner, who has come to be known as the Angel of the North for her efforts.

Penner's firm, Eastgate Inuit Enterprises, has been running the centre without a contact since the last one with the Keewatin Regional Health Board expired in 1993. The centre was in extreme financial duress and Penner had threatened to close the much-loved facility early last month.

"When I first became aware of the situation, I thought the concerns raised by Gloria, the contractor, were legitimate concerns which went back to 1993. So, it was a case of raising those concerns with the Keewatin Regional Health Board and trying to deal with the situation as expeditiously as possible.

"The board wasn't really aware the issues went back to 1993, so it was quite receptive to dealing with those issues quickly. I, more or less, facilitated the resolution of the situation by simply dealing with what wasn't dealt with in the past."

Best says, to the best of his knowledge, the centre is no longer in a perilous situation. He says the request has gone out for proposals, open to the public, which will close sometime before the end of March.

"As far as I know, the contractor is enthusiastic about providing these services. The record shows the centre has a solid past history in providing its services and I would say there's no question it's an invaluable service."