December 15, 2010 - Media are invited to a press conference about increasing reports of bed bug infestations in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Duane Fleming, Chief Environmental Health officer, will be available to answer questions about the spread of bed bugs and subsequent treatments to eliminate them.
For out-of-town media:
December 1, 2010 - Financial abuse has been identified as the most common form of elder abuse in the NWT and the rest of Canada.
The Department of Health and Social Services, in partnership with the NWT Seniors’ Society and the YWCA, has launched a new campaign, “Together We Can Stop Elder Abuse,” to raise awareness and provide information on elder abuse – particularly financial abuse – in the NWT.
November 18, 2010 - The Department of Health and Social Services, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation recently launched a pilot program in Tuktoyaktuk to address mental health and addictions issues.
The pilot project will explore what type of programming will be useful and helpful in the community. Through the pilot project, an ideal counselling services model will be developed based on the community's needs.
November 16, 2010 - Minister of Health and Social Services Sandy Lee and Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Robert C. McLeod, announced that the focus of the Joe Greenland Centre will be on independent living and day programming for seniors. Current residents requiring long term care will be placed by the Territorial Admissions Committee according to their care needs. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC) is now considering options to renovate the units currently administered by Health and Social Services.
November 14, 2010 - National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW) is observed across Canada every year during the third week of November. This year NAAW is November 14-20, 2010.
NAAW is an important opportunity to focus on the harms associated with alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and gambling. This year, the theme for NAAW is Celebrating Healthy Choices as it promotes addiction free lifestyles for individuals, families and communities.
During the Week, communities across the NWT will be hosting events:
November 2, 2010 - The Minister of Health and Social Services highlighted the GNWT's investments in eHealth and how they are essential to the delivery of health care now and in the future.
Mr. Speaker, investment in HealthNet tools such as the interoperable Electronic Health Record (or iEHR), the Diagnostic Imaging/Picture Archiving Communication System (or DI/PACS), and Telehealth are critical to delivery of health care services for residents of the Northwest Territories.
November 1, 2010 - The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to ensuring the delivery of the Lifesaving Society Water Smart™ program in every community in the Northwest Territories over the next four years. The Program is intended to significantly reduce the number of preventable drownings each year associated with boat use and water activities in the NWT.
November 2, 2010 - Minister of Health and Social Services, Sandy Lee, provided further details on the process the GNWT is taking to implement the recommendations from the Supplementary Health Benefits Joint Working Group surrounding updates to the existing Extended Health Benefits program.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide further details on the process we are taking to implement the recommendations from the Supplementary Health Benefits Joint Working Group surrounding updates to the existing Extended Health Benefits program.
October 29, 2010 - Minister of Health and Social Services Sandy Lee has responded to the report of the Supplementary Health Benefits Joint Working Group.
The 2007 Policy on Supplementary Health Benefits will be withdrawn and the Department of Health and Social Services will concentrate efforts on ensuring existing extended health benefits programs are fairly and consistently administered. The GNWT will now begin work to advance changes in the life of the 16th Assembly based on:
October 29, 2010 - The Minister of Health and Social Service highlighted some of the recommendations from the Report of the Supplementary Health Benefits Joint Working Group.
Mr. Speaker, decisions surrounding Health care, particularly who pays and for what, are some of the most contentious and sensitive that a government faces. We have seen this over the past few years as we have attempted to resolve the inconsistencies between uninsured supplementary health benefits programs in the NWT.
