Strategic Directions

The following strategic directions are included in Central Health's strategic plan for  2011-14:

Access to Services

A key component to program and service quality is ensuring appropriate and timely access to health care services which are responsive to the changing needs of the population served. Central Health continues to achieve wait times at or near the nationally established benchmarks in priority areas selected by the Department of Health and Community Services in conjunction with the First Ministers. There continues to be areas, however, where wait times are a challenge to timely service provision. Environmental scanning indicates challenges in the areas of diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, echocardiography, emergency services and other areas that are not yet fully explored. Central Health will work collaboratively with the Department of Health and Community Services as they move forward to address Access Management as a focused area for Government's strategic direction titled Access to Priority Services.

Healthy Aging

In addition to declining in numbers, the population of Central region is also aging. From 1991 to 2006, the population of those age 45 to 65 years and 65+ years increased by 44 per cent and 29 percent respectively. At the same time, the percentage of the population 0 to19 years declined by 47 per cent (Statistics Canada Census). This trend, of both a declining and aging population, is projected to continue for the next 15 years whereby, in the year 2025, 50 per cent of the population in the Central region will be over the age of 55 years. To continue to provide appropriate and quality services, Central Health is obliged to adjust the services we deliver and the way they are delivered to align with this rapidly changing demographic. The alignment must happen along the full continuum of services from helping aging citizens remain healthy and active to ensuring that the appropriate services are available when they need to access them and ensuring services are planned and delivered from an age-friendly perspective. The work that Central Health plans to undertake in this area will support Government's strategic directions of Population Health (focus area Healthy Aging).

Quality and safety

Central Health is committed to integrating quality and safety into all aspects of service delivered to clients in the Central region as well as for our staff, volunteers and visitors. Research has demonstrated that patients admitted to acute care hospitals experienced one or more adverse events, many of which are preventable. It is well recognized that for health care organizations to make and sustain gains associated with this issue, the principles of quality and safety must be embedded in organizational culture. Staff safety and client safety are inevitably intertwined and therefore occupational safety must be considered when trying to create a positive client safety culture. Organizational culture and a safety climate are emerging as important determinants of both staff well-being and client safety. The focus needs to start with governance positioning quality and safety as a strategic issue and support being provided by all levels of the organization to help each staff member assume their appropriate role and responsibilities in the quality and safety agenda. The efforts of Central Health in this area will support the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in its strategic direction to improve accountability and stability of health and community services.

The 2011-14 Central Health Strategic Plan is available electronically. To request a print copy, please contact Corporate Office at 709-292-2138 or email:  Corporate Office