NL Health Services Releases 2023-24 Annual Performance Report
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services held its first annual general meeting (AGM) today, hosted by Robert Andrews, KC, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Karen Stone, KC, CEO (Interim). During the AGM, NL Health Services provided an overview of its performance based on its 2023-24 Strategic Plan, marking its first fiscal year.
“During our ongoing transition into one health authority, we have laid the foundational work to transform our province’s health system,” said Mr. Andrews. “In just one year, we have made progress to improve the health and health outcomes of our patients, clients and long-term care residents. These accomplishments are the direct result of the dedicated, compassionate and enthusiastic employees, physicians and volunteers at NL Health Services, and I thank them for the high-quality care they provide to all those we serve.”
The 2023-24 Strategic Plan outlines four priority areas in which NL Health Services’ performance is measured, including: Transformation, Our People, Access and Quality. Below are some highlights of the organization’s performance in each of these areas.
Transformation
NL Health Services established innovative integration structures such as a Health Transformation Framework which will help transform health-care service delivery in Newfoundland and Labrador. The framework identifies key mechanisms for integration and transformation across NL Health Services, including strategic health networks and service integration teams, and outlines how these groups will function and work together to improve efficiency, sustainability, and effectiveness across zones, while reimagining health on a provincial scale. As well, work began to implement a new transformational health information system (HIS) for the province, marking the beginning of the largest digital health modernization project to be undertaken in Newfoundland and Labrador to date.
Our People
NL Health Services launched a Recruitment and Retention Strategy and partnered with the provincial government on the Work in Health NL campaign to provide opportunities and incentives to work in all health-care fields across Newfoundland and Labrador. As a result of extensive recruitment initiatives, NL Health Services has successfully recruited more than 200 internationally educated nurses to the province since 2022 while over 600 internationally educated nurses are currently being recruited through ongoing initiatives. As well, 203 bachelor of nursing students, and 167 practical nursing students have accepted job offers and are working across NL Health Services. In addition, through recruitment and retention efforts, paired with the expansion of virtual care, the average number of emergency department closures and diversions in Category B sites (24-hour care with a physician on-call after hours and limited diagnostics) decreased to 1,081 hours in 2023-24, a reduction from 1,684 hours in 2022-23.
Access
NL Health Services was innovative in its approach to improve access to ensure that the people of the province receive the most appropriate level of care and services for their needs. Last year, NL Health Services implemented technologies to support booking, cancelling, and rescheduling appointments such as community wide scheduling. As well, during 2023-24, the number of family care teams increased to 17 from eight in 2022-23 and the number of individuals connected to a family care team increased to 55,455 as of March 2024 from 28,895 in April 2023. NL Health Services also increased the volume of orthopedic surgeries (hip and knee replacements) and performed 2,288 surgeries up from 1,635 in 2022-23. Cataract surgeries also increased to 11,507 performed in 2023-24 compared to 10,085 in 2022-23.
Quality
NL Health Services introduced a structured approach to managing risks, with clear processes, accountability, and monitoring. In 2023-24, NL Health Services developed and began implementation of an integrated, provincial quality and learning strategy. Just Culture training was offered across all zones, a progressive step towards a safer, fairer, and more accountable organizational environment. Just Culture training is the concept of designing, implementing, and supporting a fair and just learning culture within an organization. NL Health Services began its journey to enhance partnerships with Indigenous communities in 2023-24, reaffirming our commitment to developing a culturally competent workforce, delivering culturally safe care, and addressing social determinants of health in collaboration with Indigenous peoples. In 2023-24, NL Health Services also began work to standardize and improve how to promote meaningful engagement with patients, families and communities.
“As a new organization, we are strategically poised to be leaders for change in health care. In health care, it is important to adapt to new technologies, advances in research and changing demographics,” said Ms. Stone. “I am proud of the progress NL Health Services has made during our first year to achieve the goals outlined in the 2023-24 Strategic Plan. As we move forward, we will continue to use Health Accord NL as our guide. It is a pleasure to work with our employees, physicians, volunteers, and community partners to improve the health and health outcomes for the people of the province.”
The Annual Performance Report 2023-24 is available in its entirety on NL Health Services’ website at nlhealthservices.ca/our-organization.
-30-
About NL Health Services
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services is responsible for delivering quality health-care to approximately 541,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The provincial health authority is supported by over 23,000 employees and physicians who together work to improve the health and well-being of every person, in every community. Guided by the vision of Health Accord NL, NL Health Services offers a comprehensive range of health-care programs and services through a wide network of facilities, clinics, and community services across five zones: Central, Eastern-Rural, Eastern-Urban, Labrador-Grenfell, and Western.
Learn more
Visit our website: NLHealthServices.ca
Follow us: Facebook | X | LinkedIn | YouTube