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Burntwood RHA
Burntwood RHA:
The Burntwood Region includes most of Manitoba lying North of the 53rd parallel, approximately 210,000 square miles excluding areas around Flin Flon, The Pas, and Churchill. The region is sparsely populated and great distances separate the various communities. Mining, hydro-electric development, forestry, commercial fishing, trapping, transportation, and tourism are the major industries in the Burntwood region. The population of the Burntwood Region is just over 45,000. People of aboriginal descent form the largest population group. While almost 60% of the aboriginal people in the region are resident on reserve, many people with treaty status live in non-reserve communities, along with people of Metis descent and various groups of non-aboriginal people. The First Nations communities are Cree, Cree/Ojibway, and Dene, with Cree being the most numerous group. The Burntwood Regional Health Authority has a total staff of 450. In Pikwitonei, Thicket Portage and Wabowden, the Burntwood Regional Health Authority (BRHA) nurses, resident in the communities, deliver health programs in community health centers. Physicians and other health professionals provide regular itinerant visits to support these health professionals. Lynn Lake Hospital, Gillam Hospital, Leaf Rapids Health Centre and Thompson General Hospital offer primary-level services in their respective communities in the Burntwood Region. In addition, the hospital located in the City of Thompson is the regional referral centre providing both primary and secondary levels of care. The Burntwood Regional Health Authority also owns and operates a comprehensive Community Health Resource Centre in Thompson providing primary medical services as well as health promotion/education and illness prevention programs. The Burntwood Regional Health Authority also provides regional home care, mental health programs and all regional public health programs which includes the office of the Medical Officer of Health. The mission statement of the Burntwood Regional Health Authority is: The Burntwood Regional Health Authority Inc. exists so that there will be - Healthy Families - Decrease in preventable illness and injuries - Timely return to Optimum Health from Acute Illness - Healthy environments
Burntwood Region:
Geography
The Burntwood Region includes most of Manitoba lying above the 53rd Parallel, excluding areas around Flin Flon, The Pas, and Churchill. The region is sparsely populated and great distances separate the various communities. Thompson is the only city within this area. There are 4 Local Government Districts, and 19 First Nations (most of which have adjacent non-treaty communities of various size), 7 non-First Nations Communities administered under the auspices of the Provincial Department of Northern Affairs, and multiple hamlets/cottage settlements/individuals dispersed in unorganized territories across the region.
Thompson is the third largest city in Manitoba with a population of 15 000. It is 750 kilometers north of Winnipeg, and has become a centre for transportation, communication, education, health care, and government services.
Transportation is costly and difficult as many of the communities in the region do not have all-weather roads. Some of the communities are linked by rail, but many can only be reached by air.
Socio-economic
Mining, hydro-electric development, forestry, commercial fishing, trapping, transportation. and tourism are the major industries in the Burntwood Region.
These resource-based activities are subject to global markets, and cycles of boom and bust, creating a degree of uncertainty and accompanying stress.
Income is above the National average for individuals employed in these major industries. However, the unemployment rate for the region as a whole is above 20%, and ranges up to 85% in some outlying communities. As a result of this high unemployment, the region has a high poverty rate.
Population
The population of the Burntwood region is just over 45 000. There are several distinctive features of the population. The proportion of youth is high, with 35% of the population under age 15, in contrast with the Manitoba average of 22%. this demographic trend is likely to be maintained in the foreseeable future due to the high fertility rate of the region, i.e. 27.9 births per 1000 residents, compared with the provincial average of 14.4. There is a small number of elderly persons, with 3% of the population over 65, in contrast to the provincial average of 13%. Most of these elderly persons live in the outlying areas, and although their numbers are relatively low, they represent a growing area of need.
People of aboriginal descent for the largest population group. While almost 60% of the aboriginal people in the region are resident on reserve, many people with treaty status live in non-reserve communities along with people pf Metis descent and various groups of non-aboriginal people. The First Nations communities are Cree, Cree/Ojibway, and Dene, with Cree being the most numerous group. It is well documented that the health of the aboriginal population lags behind that of the non-aboriginal population. This reality will need to be addressed in the restructuring of health services delivery.
Jurisdictional Issues
A major issue in the Burntwood Region is the complicated question of jurisdiction. Health care on most reserves ( and some non-reserve communities) is the responsibility of the Federal Government. The Federal Government has historically provided limited amounts of non-insured health benefits, although First Nations communities have argued that non-insured benefits are a treaty right. The Province of Manitoba has taken the position that non-insured services for Status Indians resident on reserve are not a provincial responsibility. Historically, the result has been an impasse regarding a wide range of services for which there are pressing needs.
First Nation communities are gradually assuming control of health delivery through negotiated federal and provincial transfer agreements. As a result of negotiations, funds will be transferred to individual bands, who will be responsible for the delivery of core community-based health services to reserves and adjacent non-status communities. However, these communities will continue to receive facility based services from existing institutions within the region.
This ongoing jurisdictional issue has implications for the Burntwood Regional Health Authority. Collaboration and ongoing discussion between all groups will be of utmost importance. The BRHA will have to determine how it will interface and work with First Nations communities, to ensure that regional health planning is done to the benefit and mutual satisfaction of all parties.
Health Care
Over much of the region, health care is delivered in nursing stations, with limited visits by physicians and other health professionals. Four hospital/health centres offer primary-level services. In addition, the hospital located in the City of Thompson offers both primary and secondary levels of care, but its services have not always been consistent due to ongoing difficulties in the recruitment and retention of physicians. As a result, a large portion of services for the region as a whole are delivered on an itinerant basis by visiting professionals, and in many cases, residents must travel outside the region to access medical and/or secondary health care.
Finally, various large employers provide unique transportation and other health benefits to their employees. These have established consumer expectations which have implications for regional planning. All of the above conditions have resulted in fragmented health care delivery, with a lack of continuity in services provided. It will be the BRHA's challenge to integrate the present health care system and provide continuity in services to the people of the Burntwood Region.
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