Phase 2 of system transformation launched in PEI

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Health PEI is moving to Phase 2 of the health system transformation with a clear focus on three key priorities: ensuring primary care access for all Islanders, improving access and flow to acute care services, and building a foundation for accountability and excellence.

The new phase of work builds on the work completed over the past six months to support the health system to connect more Islanders with patient medical homes. Led by the new Health PEI Transformation Office, the work also included revamping the patient registry into an accurate and dynamic database for decision-making, improving health care recruitment, supporting the development of a new medical school at UPEI, and assessing opportunities for overall organizational capacity at Health PEI.

“The past six months have been instrumental in laying the groundwork for positive change,” said Melanie Fraser (pictured), CEO of Health PEI. “We’ve built a strong foundation and now we’re excited to move forward with specific initiatives that address the needs of our patients and healthcare professionals. We know we need to do better in providing access to care to meet national benchmarks, and we are tapping into global experts to make this happen for Islanders.”

In the new phase, Health PEI will again be supported by global consultancy KPMG, which will provide on-the-ground expertise in health system improvement. The new contract of work is expected to cost $3.9 million.

The key initiatives for Phase 2 of healthcare transformation include:

• Achieve Enhanced Primary Care Access: Health PEI will ensure more Islanders have access to primary care by recruiting more providers and support staff and ensuring our patient medical homes are operating optimally.
• Improved Access to Hospital Based Care: Efforts will focus on reducing emergency department wait times, increasing the percentage of patients treated within national benchmarks for surgeries, and decreasing wait times for diagnostic imaging.
• Building Accountability and Excellence: Creating a robust medical leadership model and fostering a culture of professional accountability and operational excellence to drive sustainable performance improvement.

“I am proud of the progress made so far by Health PEI in developing the right plans and approach to provide greater access to care. I support this work, accelerating our health system toward the end goal of providing innovative, responsive and accessible healthcare for Prince Edward Island,” said Health and Wellness Minister Mark McLane.