Capital District Health Authority Appointments for Halifax Regional Municipality and West Hants
HEALTH Capital District Health Authority Chair, Members Appointed for Halifax Regional Municipality and West Hants
The chair and members of the new Capital District Health Authority were appointed today. These individuals can now push forward in setting the new direction for health care committed by government.
The Capital District Health Authority will allow for more focused management on community needs. Communities already are seeing a greater voice in decisions, with two-thirds of the authority members nominated by community health boards. The authorities are also required to work with local health boards in developing community health plans.
This new direction also requires stronger links among all levels of health care -- from prevention to treatment to continuing care. This means people will get the right care, in the right place, at a sustainable cost for taxpayers. As well, more accountability will be in place for health outcomes and results.
Bruce McLaughlin, lawyer and businessman is the Capital District Health Authority chair.
The chair will be joined by 14 members: James McAllister, retired banker; Tony Benson, district director, staffing programs branch of the Public Service Commission for Nova Scotia; Karen Willis Duerden, retired and chair of the Patient Care Committee of the QEII board of directors and board representative on the Clinical Ethics Committee; Dr. Mary Moriarty, practising physician and medical director at Oakwood Terrace (Special Care Home); Katherine Aucoin, chief client services with Veteran Affairs Canada; Dr Ed Kinley, semi-retired cardiac surgeon at the QEII Health Sciences Centre and former president of Dalhousie Medical Students Society; Blaine Pemberton, building superintendent for Gladys Manning Memorial Senior's Residence; Linda Best, works at the QEII Health Sciences Centre for Clinical Research; Joeanne Coffey, retired from IWK-Grace as Program Assistant with Rh Program of Nova Scotia and Laboratory Technologist; Peter Hart, retired and former member of Central Regional Health Board; Garnet Burns, chair for the Hants Community Hospital Foundation and former Central Regional Health Board member; Eve Wickwire, lifelong volunteer, QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation board member and former board member for Cancer Care NS and Canadian Cancer Society and founder and chair of the F.B. Wickwire Trust Fund for Research into Bone Marrow Transplantation; Elizabeth Cameron, registered nurse in cardiology at the QEII and former member of the Chebucto-West Regional Health Board; Pamela Dean, former manager of St. James Credit Union and former member of the Central Regional Health Board.
Acting Health Minister Peter Christie said that both the chair and health authority members have diverse backgrounds, experience and talents.
"They have one thing in common -- their interest and commitment in improving health care in their communities. We look forward to working with them in developing a health care system that not only does a better job of meeting Nova Scotians' needs today, but is there to meet the needs of our children and grandchildren."
The health authority chair will help in selecting the chief executive officers, a process already under way. Orientation sessions for all members are scheduled in October.
The Health Authorities Act, passed in the spring of 2000, sets out the legislative framework for the new health care direction.