Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to delve down into which programs. Yes, there are multiple systems and that is the problem, is that none of them inter -- none of them talk to each other. And so when physicians and any practitioner has to access blood work or the appointments or the charting tool, yes, they have to log into multiple different levels. They're -- you know, they have to have -- they can't get other staff to support them because of access to information and all of these different barriers, and those are all of the things that we're looking at. And there's been...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As you may see, the capital budget doesn't have amounts and so a lot of these things will -- you know, they're on here because we need to do the things that the Member is asking. Whether or not it allocates this amount or how far we go, but the planning study -- and to figure out how many bed facilities that is going to be required for that is going to cost an amount. So we need to be able to allocate dollars to be able to do that work. So, you know, it may not be what the Member -- or is saying, but there is an amount that will need to be able to -- so we could spend to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yes, the -- there is an overnight space for -- and there is currently an overnight space emergency shelter, and those users do use the day facility currently and so they would continue to use that space. How the program evolves, you know, once we're in that space and how we operate the program and, you know, once we're in the space, you know, may change and may be able to provide other supports, but at this time right now what we're -- where we are is we're just replacing what we currently have. And, yes, they do stay overnight and then they can, you know, be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are currently seeking -- we are working on the procurement process for the new electronic medical records. As I've said in this House many times, our EMR is coming to an end. They will not be supported any longer. But what I will say is is that -- you know, the things that the Member is raising, it is -- we are well aware of these issues and that's why the urgency on this RFP going out to ensure that the procurement process rolls out. And then depending on the system that they think that meets the needs will depend on how long that rollout takes. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will turn that over to the ADM.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Joining me today from the Department of Health and Social Services are Chris Clarke McQueen, director of infrastructure planning. And Perry Heath, assistant deputy minister for corporate service and cultural safety.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that is part of the process of the planning and within Hay River, like the Member -- like the ADM said, is that we have the older facility. Those people will have to move into the new facility once it's decommissioned as it's at the end of its life. So all of that information will be taken into account.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I did ask the NTHSSA to -- early when we -- you know, with the pressures that we were hearing of hotel rooms being full all the time, you know, that is impacting insured service patients that are flying down for doctors appointments because dental and everybody is flying into the capital, I did ask them to look at other options. That is currently being looked in right now. But clients who are NIHB can also work with NIHB directly if they can find appointments closer to home that's not here. And like I mentioned, in the Beaufort Delta a lot of our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the cohort of numbers are very low and they're specific to each -- like, the communities are so small, I am -- at this point, I'm not aware of how many of the residents that the Member is talking about have completed testing. And if there were any, you know, those are health -- private health medical records, and so that -- you know, I wouldn't be able to discuss those here freely on the floor of the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what will happen is the current staff will transition into the new building. There hasn't been any planning on new staff, but what I will say is that we are in the process -- in the early processes of looking at our health centres and the model of how we provide health services in our communities, in our small communities and so, you know, that's going to take some time and analysis to look through because, you know, what happens in some small communities is not the same in the other. Some communities are bigger. So at this point, no. Thank you.