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BEAUFORT DELTA
The Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority recorded a budget deficit of $2.9 million in 2010-2011, bringing its total deficit to a five-year high of $8.5 million.

The Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority held its annual general meeting on Jan. 11 at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex in Inuvik. Approximately 40 people attended the meeting, including many from surrounding communities. - Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison/NNSL photo

"If you think you have a problem balancing your chequebook sometimes, think of all the trouble (director of finance and operations) Roger Israel is having," said public administrator Peter Clarkson.

At the health authority's annual general meeting last week in Inuvik, managers gave an overview of programs and services, and released updated financial statements that show they're nowhere near breaking even.

The health authority's total expenditures for 2010-2011 totalled $47 million, putting its annual deficit at $2.9 million.

Israel said the budget deficit could be blamed mostly on relocation expenses for staff, which cost $760,000, the increased cost of contracts, which cost $1.3 million, and overtime expenses, which cost $1.9 million.

Physician services were also over budget by $1.65 million because of on-call pay, call-back pay, the hiring of specialists and 24/7 staffing for the emergency room.

Of the total annual budget, 37 per cent was directed toward regional health centres in the form of health and social services.

Administration and support accounted for 17 per cent of expenditures; nursing and resident services accounted for 17 per cent; ambulance services accounted for 13 per cent; diagnostic and therapeutic services accounted for 8 per cent; undistributed and service contracts accounted for five per cent; non-insured services accounted for 2 per cent; and education accounted for one per cent.

Another challenge for the health authority, according to Dr. Braam de Klerk, is doctor recruitment.

The last time their Yellowknife recruitment team signed a doctor was in 2004, he said, which forces them to rely heavily on locums (temporary placements).

"Most of our recruiting is by word of mouth," he said. "All the doctors that come here talk about the place."

A side effect of this is that doctors have to spend more time with patients learning their medical history, which affects care.

"That is a necessary evil, I guess, of having locums," he said.

Clarkson said that despite the health authority's budget woes, he is still confident the authority is providing quality health care.

"The service we have here, in most cases, is incredible," he said.

In May 2010, Paddy Meade, the deputy minister of Health and Social Services, took over as public administrator of the authority and replaced the board of directors, partly because of their inability to balance the budget.

Clarkson, who currently serves at the GNWT's regional director for the Beaufort Delta and Sahtu, replaced Meade in September after her resignation.

Although he is unsure when a board would be put back in place, he assured those who attended the annual general meeting that the Department of Health and Social Services is looking at the issue.

"I think we feel we know what's best for the region and we want a board to do that," he said.

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