NHH Annual Meeting concludes 2016/17 fiscal year with operating surplus
Outgoing Chair, Volunteers and Chief of Staff Recognized, Newcomers Welcomed
Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) hosted its Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 22nd in the NHH Education Centre.
Chaired by Jack Russell, outgoing NHH Board Chair, the audience included Board Directors, volunteers, donors, local partners and health-care providers, staff, physicians, area residents and provincial representatives, including Northumberland Quinte-West MPP Lou Rinaldi.
Guest speaker Melissa Farrell, Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), delivered the keynote address. Farrell, who grew up in Port Hope and has family members in the area, provided an overview of five timely subjects relevant to local hospital services, including: health system transformation; the evolution of Local Health Integration Network sub-regions; Ontario’s Alternate (or, to Farrell’s preference, ‘Appropriate’) Level of Care Strategy; Health System Funding Reform (particular as it relates to medium-sized hospitals like NHH); and Ministry plans to improve access to specialists and specialty care.
Speaking to the work of health system transformation in general, and the Patients First Act in particular, Farrell said: “We’ve made some good progress getting the house built… now it is about making sure it is functioning appropriately – truly achieving that transformation.”
Prior to her presentation, Farrell, the lead for the MOHLTC’s System Quality and Funding Division, was invited by NHH President and CEO Linda Davis to tour NHH’s successful Assess and Restore program. Highlighted in a panel discussion at last year’s Annual Meeting, Assess and Restore is a unique intervention providing specialized care to frail seniors in the community, successfully returning them home, often with supports, at a higher rate than might have been seen had they received a traditional acute care stay. Farrell toured the unit with a Ministry of Health colleague and met with staff and caregiver representatives to learn more. Affirming it as “the vision we’ve had in our minds,” she encouraged NHH to take advantage of new funding opportunities in the latest Ontario budget to bring forward a request to the Central East LHIN for further long-term funding.
Bill Gerber, Chair of the Board’s Finance and Audit Committee, presented the NHH Financial Statements for the year ended March 31st, 2017.
Despite projecting a significant operating deficit, NHH ended the year in a positive position, achieving an operating surplus of $1,216,189 in 2016/17.
The turnaround was due in part to early implementation of revenue-generating and cost-reduction strategies identified in the Hospital Improvement Plan (HIP). Also a factor in the positive position was additional in-year base funding awarded to NHH by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and, just prior to year-end, two significant one-time funding allocations—one of $422,900, representing the third and final installment under NHH’s Working Funds Deficit Initiative, and a second, of $349,700, to assist with operating pressures.
A balanced operating budget has been approved for fiscal 2017/18, signaling—in Jack Russell’s words—“a long-awaited return to financial stability.”
“NHH will continue to work cooperatively with its partners at the Central East Local Health Integration Network and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care,” said Gerber, “to continue to balance our accountabilities of financial stewardship and exceptional patient care.”