Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
Brian Schoonbaert, CEO of the Brandon RHA, speaks as board chair Marg MacDonald looks on Tuesday evening. (COLIN CORNEAU/THE BRANDON SUN)
After nearly 15 years, the Brandon Regional Health Authority board has been dissolved.
The final board meeting was held Tuesday, in preparation for the upcoming amalgamation of the Brandon, Parkland and Assiniboine RHAs.
"It’s the end of an era, but it’s the beginning of a new one," Brandon RHA CEO Brian Schoonbaert said.
As part of Manitoba’s 2012 budget, the province is eliminating six of the 11 RHAs.
The plan is expected to save the province $10 million over the next three years. Between 30 and 35 executive positions will be cut.
Schoonbaert and Marg MacDonald, the Brandon RHA board chair, both commended the dedication of the board members.
"It’s been a real great pleasure to work with all of you," Schoonbaert said.
MacDonald said it has been an "honour and a privilege" to be involved with the group.
The first Brandon RHA board meeting was held on June 17, 1997, under the lead of Peter Eckersley.
An interim board of Manitoba Health officials is expected to be put in place within a month, Schoonbaert said, and will then appoint the CEOs for the five new RHAs.
A new board of 15 members will be formed for the western region, which is expected to have five representatives from each of the Brandon, Parkland and Assiniboine boards.
"There is lots of work around that, because of course you want all the regions to be geographically representative," MacDonald said.
"We certainly want a mix of gender, and also backgrounds and ethnicity. It’ll be a complicated job I’m sure to try and figure out who should go where."
MacDonald said the Brandon RHA board members will still deal with issues that arise in the short-term during the transition.
It’s still unknown if there will be a headquarters for the new amalgamated western RHA.
Schoonbaert said with such a large region geographically, it will be important to strategically place representatives throughout the area.
"There’s still a lot of unknowns," Schoonbaert said. "However, I know that folks are already meeting and trying to pull together the various groups that are going to be required to get these three regions to act as one. There’s some work to be done, but we did it before … about 14 years ago, and we can do it again."
Schoonbaert said the changes will be happen primarily to the executive, and there will be no impact on patient care.
"Of course the focus is always on the patient, client and resident, so as long as we don’t lose our focus on that, we’re going to make it work, regardless of what the structure is," Schoonbaert said.
» jaustin@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition May 16, 2012
We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.
You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.
Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.
The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
After nearly 15 years, the Brandon Regional Health Authority board has been dissolved.
The final board meeting was held Tuesday, in preparation for the upcoming amalgamation of the Brandon, Parkland and Assiniboine RHAs.
Already subscribed? Login to view full article.
Not yet a subscriber? Click Here to Signup
After nearly 15 years, the Brandon Regional Health Authority board has been dissolved.
The final board meeting was held Tuesday, in preparation for the upcoming amalgamation of the Brandon, Parkland and Assiniboine RHAs.
A subscription to the Brandon Sun Newspaper is required to view this article. Please update your user information if you are already a newspaper subscriber.
Most Popular
Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments
You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.