Environmental Scan - Government of Nova Scotia

Background DataPhysician Resource PlanningAn Environmental ScanFigure 131 DHA4 - Hospitals by County – Total Days Stay (LOS) and change in RIW – 2005-2010 (NS Hospital Discharge Data)18.5 Cumberland Health Authority (CHA) – Interview(s)Population Need• Emergency Care−CHA would find value in a statement on the maximum on-call responsibilities• Health System Design−−−As the smallest DHA, no ability to pay competitive locum tenens rates when competing withregional hospitalsNo APPs have been approved for CHAChallenge to capture accurate workload in a model – e.g., a 1 in 2 on-call requirement is notacceptable, but workload is diminished due to historical referral patterns to Moncton – improvingbut still report 20% of surgical cases are done in Moncton• Mental Health−−−−−−−Approach to mental health services across the province needs to be modernized, including aredistribution of physician specialties and numbersPatient numbers do not allow for psychological services, social work, and occupational servicesNeed to examine full range of mental health emergency, inpatient, day patient, and outpatientneeds and then to site these services correctly – only then ascertain required professionalresources, including physiciansWhether local or regional, service categories can be contemplated as one of child, young adult,adult, and psycho-geriatricPriority should always be a child under age 5 years due to the pressure of timePsychiatric care provided by 2 FTEs and an 0.6 FTE and a 0.5 FTE – missing full child psychiatric care– goal is two more FTE Psychiatrists – current deficiency in addiction services – there are noinpatient psychiatric beds (hence Truro dependency) – good mental health infrastructure and alliedhealth professionalsGP mental health position recently filled and holds promise for additional needed care• Social-economic−−−Physician SupplyPopulation of 33,000 is actually 40,000 when including patients from southeast New BrunswickMost elderly population in province with the least education and highest poverty levelsHigh burden of chronic disease management• Generalist Disciplines161 | Page Social Sector Metrics Inc. & Health Intelligence Inc. | 12/31/2011