Sun Country Health Region (SCHR) has had better years than 2010. The best thing that can be said for the year, as far as many in our organization are concerned, is that it's over and we are improving in 2011.
As a direct response to the difficulties that surfaced during the year, Sun Country Regional Health Authority, which is the governing body of SCHR, hired an outside consultant to investigate and make recommendations to improve the internal accountability processes.
Also as a result of the outside investigation, members of the Health Authority decided to appoint new leadership at the top of the organization to manage the day-to-day business of the Health Region. They chose me to fill that role.
I am grateful for this opportunity to explain the internal changes we have made within the organization in recent months as a result of the RHA investigation and the Provincial Auditor's report. We take these incidents very seriously.
1. According to the Provincial Auditor's 2010 report, hiring practices in SCHR were not followed in two instances in the immediate past. We hire about 200 people each year. Hiring practices were followed in all other instances.
We have put in place new checks and balances to ensure proper hiring practices are followed in all instances.
2. The Provincial Auditor's 2010 report named two instances of credit card misuse and expenses not properly accounted for. Our staff members discovered the misuse but some of the people responsible did not follow through. The three people involved and/or responsible are no longer employed by our Health Region.
In one of these instances, all funds owed to SCHR were paid by the individual in question before departure. In the other instance, administration sent the uncollected funds to a collection agency, just as any other organization would do to collect an unpaid debt.
However, since then, we have added another layer of checks and balances to ensure more timely monitoring of credit cards and expenses. I believe these changes will guard against future misuse.
Sun Country Health Region is an integral part of every community in the Â鶹ÊÓƵ East corner of Saskatchewan.
We are the largest employer in this part of the province.
We are the nurses and therapists and maintenance workers in the health facility in your town. We are your husbands and wives, sisters and uncles, and we provide the programs and services you need.
When our reputation is damaged, we need to account for our actions. We've done that. We have experienced difficulties over the past year; we have responded appropriately and we are moving ahead.
