Message from CEO on 2012-2013 Business Plan
Today, Annapolis Valley Health 2012-2013 Budget/Business Plan has been approved by the Department of Health and Wellness. We remain committed as a district health authority to a sustainable health care system so we can continue to meet the needs of our communities now and into the future.
Annapolis Valley Health will have to absorb new and rising costs like wages, medications, medical and surgical supplies and energy costs (oil & electricity). This amounts to $3,253,000 that we have to find in our own budget this year. Our mandate is clear—to find efficiencies while protecting direct patient care.
This year, we received budget approval earlier than in previous years, which allows us to move into action sooner. Some of these savings will be achieved through multi-year provincial efficiency projects like merged services, and bed utilization management. The remaining amount will come from changes across the district.
This past year we have seen outstanding work from our employees, doctors and volunteers. We met budget reductions while managing to obtain Exemplary Accreditation status for our organization. It has not been easy. It is important to recognize the effort of all teams who rose to the challenge to respond to needs with fewer resources, while keeping focused on providing safe and quality services.
We know we have to contribute our share towards Back to Balance and this means changes are unavoidable. This plan contains challenges that will affect our entire organization.
At Annapolis Valley Health, these changes amount to a reduction of 35 positions. At this time, we do not know the actual number of people affected. In anticipation of potential budget impacts, we have been holding positions to lessen the potential job loss. Seventy-four percent of our budget goes toward salaries and benefits. In as many ways as possible, we tried to balance the budget by being more efficient, finding cost recoveries and generating revenue. However, due to the significant budget pressures we faced this year, it became necessary to remove positions.
We will share more details as soon as possible after we have had the chance to talk with employees in the affected areas. These discussions will take place over the coming weeks and months.
I want to thank our employees, physicians and volunteers for their ongoing commitment to our community.
Sincerely,
Janet Knox,
President and CEO