Joint Project Board - Year in Review: 2014-15

5/28/2015

This year has been one of learning, development and successes for the Joint Project Board (JPB). The partnership between the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) and the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) continues to grow stronger at all levels, as the Regional Health Directors and FNHA Health Directors work together to bring ideas from community to fruition through the JPB commitments and the support of the senior level leaders. The JPB is a truly unique opportunity to support the identification and removal of policy barriers and to align strategies for more effective and efficient health service delivery to First Nations people. Joint work planning between the Ministry and FNHA will help to address identified gaps in community-level primary care service delivery, and should lay a foundation for more accessible patient-centered care to all First Nations and Aboriginal people across BC.

Joint Project Board (JPB) was established in 2012 and is a senior bilateral forum between the Assistant Deputy Ministers of the BC Ministry of Health, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Vice Presidents of the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). A primary focus of JPB is to enhance primary care services and delivery through: Advancing strategic priorities; Overcoming policy barriers; Supporting priorities and initiatives of the regions; and supporting integration of services and initiatives of the province and FNHA.

The key priority of the JPB for 2014/15 has been the regional investment of funding available through the MSP agreement. Effective July 2, 2013 Health Canada transferred the funds they had historically used to pay the MSP premiums on behalf of First Nations resident in BC to the First Nations Health Authority, a total contribution of $61.3 million over 3 years (July 2, 2013-March 31, 2016). Of this transfer, 25% of the financial contribution amount (or $15.33 Million over 3 years) was set aside by the FNHA in support of JPB projects and initiatives related to MSP services.

Read the JPB Year In Review here (PDF 284 KB)

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See also:

New Investments in BC First Nations Health 2015 Infographic - PDF (711 KB)

Successes Marked in New Approach to First Nations Healthcare in BC