Health board cuts meetings

The Saskatoon Regional Health Authority has cut the number of public meetings it holds every year to eight from 10.

"The patient-first review made a recommendation to direct dollars away from bureaucracy and toward patient care," said board chair Jim Rhode. "We took that recommendation seriously."

The board used to meet monthly from September to June, for a total of 10 public meetings. This year, the board’s December and April meetings were cut, which Rhode said generally had among the lightest agendas each year.

However, due to the provincial byelection this fall, the authority’s scheduled meeting in September was cancelled, meaning the board will meet seven times this year.

Rhode noted since the current board was appointed in spring 2009, it has reduced the administrative budget by 20 per cent.

"If the question is whether what we’re doing is making a difference, it certainly is," he said.

Saskatoon isn’t alone in reducing the number of public meetings. The Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region also has eight meetings scheduled for 2011, with no meetings scheduled for December and March, as well as July and August.

The Ministry of Health supports boards’ moves to reduce the number of meetings.

"In response to concerns about administrative costs, several boards have decided to book fewer meetings annually," said Tanya Klassen, director of regional planning and support. "In the ministry’s view, these moves are encouraged."

When asked whether other boards would be expected to reduce meetings, Klassen said that was up to each region.

"They were requested to reduce their administrative spending where practicable to do so," she said. "We leave the how up to them."