Call for Letters of Intent for Primary Care Project
The Department of Health has issued a call for letters of intent from primary care providers and communities interested in taking part in the Strengthening Primary Care in Nova Scotia Evaluation Initiative.
"Enhancing access to quality health care is one of our top priorities," said Harriet McCready, primary care director with the Department of Health. "Involving communities and care providers in evaluating new ways of delivering primary care services is essential if this project is to be a success."
Primary care is an individual's or family's initial and continuing contact with the health care system. Primary care services include health promotion and disease prevention, acute episodic care, continuing care of chronic conditions and education.
The Primary Care Steering Committee, made up of representatives from the regional and community health boards, community health centres and health professions, will review the letters of intent as the first step of a two-stage process to determine which communities will host a demonstration project. Those selected will be supported in developing more detailed proposals, from which four projects will be chosen.
The Strengthening Primary Care project was announced in November 1998. It will support selected communities and primary care providers to explore and evaluate various ways of funding, organizing and delivering primary care services in Nova Scotia. This will include the introduction of nurse practitioners, new ways of paying physicians and other health professionals, and enhanced information systems. They will also evaluate how primary care providers can increase their emphasis on health promotion and illness prevention. The results will be distributed within Nova Scotia and across Canada.
Letters of intent packages are now available from the Primary Care Section of the Department of Health.
The Strengthening Primary Care Project is funded in part by Health Canada through the Health Transition Fund, which contributed almost $2.85 million.
ngr April 12,1999 10:27 a.m.