Thank you. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. We have decided to -- we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 275-20(1), Main Estimates 2025-2026. We will now consider the Department of Health and Social Services. Does the Minister of Health and Social Services wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, I do.
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the chamber.
Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. To my left is the deputy minister Jo-Anne Cecchetto. And to my left -- or my right, my other left -- to my right is Jeannie Mathison, ADM finance.
The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary beginning with administrative and support services starting on page 199 with information items on page 202. Are there any questions?
We're on administrative and support services starting on page 199 with information items on page 202. Are there any questions? No further questions -- oh, sorry. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm sorry, I have a lot of paper here, please forgive me. So my question is can -- I think underneath this function is listed information services on page 199. So my question would be, to the Minister, if she can provide a status update on the electronic medical records program, what the timeline for completion is. And I'll stop there and follow up with the rest of my time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister Semmler.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe the electronic medical records would be under capital as it is an infrastructure project.
Thank you, Minister. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I guess I'm thinking about it more from the business plan perspective which is where it's listed, so I was wondering if you could just give the House an update on that project even though it -- yes, it would be, I guess, in capital. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister of health.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As I wasn't prepared to speak to that piece, I'm going to just turn it over to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Deputy minister Cecchetto.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the question. Just of a reminder to folks, the electronic health record is a multicomponent to that -- there's about seventy components within that initiative in and of itself. What I can say is that over this calendar year for 2025 is the plan for procurement, and our hope is that we are doing the implementation, for example, of the electronic medical record over a phased approach, and we will begin that work in the start of the calendar of 2026.
Thank you, deputy Cecchetto. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, just wanted to have that info out in the public as it is a question I get. Thank you. Nothing further.
Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So the changes here seem to be all related to forced growth. $4 million for ratification of the UNW agreement, $3 million for medical travel funding within NTHSSA. So is that kind of -- etcetera; is that an accurate description of the additional spending under this activity? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister Semmler.
Yes, that is correct.
Thank you. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you. So when we have things like labour market supplements or anything that falls kind of outside of collective agreement but represents additional pay or for nursing or incentives for nursing or doctors or any medical professionals, is that this activity as well; would they cover that? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Range Lake. Minister Semmler.
Yes, that's correct. So anything that's negotiated for the staff, if in the collective agreement, if it's in our department then that's where it would lie. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you. So is the department -- I don't see anything clearly identified along those lines, but is the department considering additional benefits or labour market supplements to support the recruitment and retention efforts within the health authority? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister Semmler.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, as the negotiations go through the collective agreement bargaining, we follow whatever the agreement is after that, you know -- we cannot bargain additionally outside that collective agreement. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding was during the pandemic in particular but additional benefit -- or wage subsidies -- the labour market supplement in actual fact were negotiated to help support frontline workers. And that process occurred outside of the collective agreement, is that accurate? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of health.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the labour market supplement that was negotiated at the time, this current negotiation that they -- there was pieces added as part of that negotiation, and that is now where 17 additional health and social services positions were added to the list of those eligible for labour market supplements along with the existing nurse practitioner, registered nurse, midwives, licensed practical nurses, and medical laboratory technologists. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Range Lake.
Okay, thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just -- I'm trying to get at if we're trying to find more ways to support that -- those incentives because the retention and recruitment numbers are very -- well, the retention numbers are very poor, and even it seems when we recruit nurses, in particular -- because there is a dedicated unit to do that -- they're out the door as soon as we get them in. So if the department isn't considering additional financial incentives, what is its strategy to work on recruitment and retention let's say around nurses working with the health recruitment unit and finance? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Range Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I wanted to also mention as part of that labour market supplement there were eligible positions that were increased for retention in that labour market supplement. But as for what the department is doing or what -- within NTHSSA is there is the recruitment strategy that the department is working along with. And I can turn that over to the deputy minister to go through some of the things that are going on. And the thing to be reminded is these are things that cannot be monetary, so in cash or the -- as the labour market supplement is, and so it's ways to try to enhance making this a better place to come and work. So I'll turn that over to the deputy minister if that's okay with you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister of health. Deputy minister Cecchetto.
Thank you, Madam Chair. You may recall that our current recruitment health human resource strategy expired in this last March of 31st in 2024. We are in the process of creating what we call a people strategy. It is due to be delivered for June of 2025. This will include strategies, activities, related to recruitment and retention. So, for example, the health authorities are doing what we call exit and entry surveys. So using that information to be able to inform that strategy. They're completing quarterly reviews of current positions, how those positions are budgeted as an example. They're looking at pieces around providing guidelines for staff, looking at bursary programs, looking at opportunities to bring our youth into health and social services, and then, of course, looking at enhancing what we would consider to be our attraction and recruitment strategy. So you may recall that we had a friends and family travel program, looking to continue that work. We had a referral program whereby folks who in the GNWT referred anybody into our system, looking at encouraging those strategies to continue as well. So those are just a few examples of the items that we will continue to work on to help recruit and also retain our existing workforce.
Thank you, deputy minister Cecchetto. Member for Range Lake, do you have any? Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, has the department consulted with frontline health care workers and -- other frontline health care workers, practitioners, on this people strategy that's due this June? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Range Lake. Minister of health.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, that is correct that there is -- they are consulting with frontline staff and, you know, and as one of the things that I would encourage and I would commit to even bringing that back to making sure that is still -- that that's being carried out. So thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister of health. Member for Range Lake.
