Northern Health Still In Surplus Position

By 250 News

    Nearly half way through the fiscal year, Northern Health is still in a surplus situation.

The surplus of approximately $2.1 million is less than half of a per cent of NH’s $521 million annual operating budget.

"We continue to forecast ending the fiscal year in a break-even position, due to typically higher levels of spending for patient care activities and facility heating costs in the winter," said NH Board Chair Jeff Burghardt.  But Burghardt adds there are budget challenges which lie ahead because of an aging population and rising drug costs.

The information was presented at the most recent Northern Health Board  meeting which was held in Fort Nelson.

As part of that session, the Northern Health Board also got an update on the "RoadHealth" initiative which is aimed at reducing injuries and fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in the the north. Some of the RoadHealth initiatives over the past year include:

• $60,000 in community grants to local organizations across the north, funding activities ranging from booster seat purchases to road safety education to commercial vehicle safety;
• Efforts between ICBC, UNBC, and a special wildlife crash working group to study wildlife-vehicle crashes and educate drivers on how to avoid those incidents; and
• Planning through the BC Forest Safety Council to hold a First Nations Road Safety Summit in October

The Northern Health Board will hold its next meeting in Prince George in November.

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