We hope everyone had a great summer either resting up for the coming winter or enjoying their steep learning curves in their various new positions.
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new management team at WAHA.
Lynne Innes is a Nurse Practitioner and a member of our First Nations who has been appointed to the interim role of Vice President of Patient Services. Jack Hutchison is a resident of Moosonee, acting as the Vice President of Human Resources.
Within two weeks of these positions being filled by the Board of the hospital, things we had been told were impossible, began to happen. Some examples:
- Employees have shared with their families and friends that there has been a shift to a positive work atmosphere;
- Several health professionals, including a number of nurse practitioners, once employed by the hospital have returned, or will soon be back, to work in our communities.
- Two doctors from our First Nations have been welcomed to come home to work for their own people for the first time and will begin their time with us shortly.
- Locums from various locations have signed on to provide their services to our hospital.
- We were finally able to reach and hire doctors who expressed interest in working at WAHA since at least last year – these additions to our WAHA team will be happening in the new year.
- Much needed state of the art equipment has been obtained with more coming within the next 6 – 8 months.
- In preparation for the arrival of the equipment, staff is undergoing training to ensure competent and qualified operation of the equipment at our own hospital in Moose Factory.
- Working committees have been established and our policy and strategic work together can begin.
- Alternatives to specialist service delivery are being explored.
As you may be aware, the Board has started travelling to hold its meetings within our communities, the first of these took place in Peawanuck and was followed up in the evening with a community members meeting providing the community members with direct access to the Board in order for them to share their concerns about WAHA services and staffing. Our next meeting with community members will be taking place in Attawapiskat and is currently scheduled to happen in September.
Improvements between Board and management relations were evident in how recommendations stemming from the concerns and needs of community members were immediately addressed by staff. Because of the great distances that separate us, further work is needed to find creative ways of providing much needed services to our communities.
The most recent changes at WAHA include Dr. Elaine Innes accepting the role of Interim Chief of Staff. We welcome Dr. Innes to her position and trust she will excel in her position and will be well served by her understanding of the area, having grown up in Moose Factory.
And last, but not least, our most recent addition as our new interim Chief Executive Officer, is John McIntosh. Mr. McIntosh is one of those people who came to our communities and ended up creating his home here. He was in charge of the ambulance service in Moosonee when he came here in the late 90s and turned it from an ambulance service located in Moosonee to a service providing emergency services to all our communities along the coast.
For a list of our full Executive Team, please visit the following link https://www.waha.ca/executive
Welcome to everyone! We thank you and are grateful that you have agreed to take on your new challenges. We are also grateful that there are doctors, from the past and present, who are lending their time and expertise to you all solely from their past personal connections and love of WAHA and our communities.
We want to be clear that we expect an environment where patients have no fear in attending our facilities, where all staff feels like a part of a team; creating an environment where we can all communicate with one another to make WAHA the best it can be as quickly as diligently possible. You are the health care providers and we want to be here to alleviate your work stresses and to provide you with what you need to make WAHA efficient, responsible, thorough and proactive.
We look forward to working with the team you are creating and encourage you to find doctors and other health professionals with varied experiences and backgrounds to join our team. We remind you to share with them they may be at risk of becoming one of those people who intend to come for a year but end up staying for decades.
Great job!
We look forward to working with all of you for years to come.
WAHA Board of Directors