The Sun Country Regional Health Authority (SCRHA) introduced their 2008-2011 Strategic Plan on May 28.

Earl Kickley, chair of the board of directors, said, "We recognize the many competing priorities in health care. We developed this plan to provide a clearer picture of the appropriate focus so we can meet the future health needs of individuals and our communities. This plan reflects what stakeholders told us during our staff and public consultations, as well as a renewed commitment to our Vision of Healthy People in Healthy Communities."

The strategic plan reaffirms SCRHA's mission to provide safe care, primary health care, to encourage optimum health throughout an individual's lifespan, to contribute to a significant decrease in the incidence of preventable disease, to encourage public policy support healthy living and healthy environments, and to help people take personal responsibility for their health.

"Staff and public feedback have helped SCRHA to develop a plan it can be proud of, one that sets priorities and represents the will of the organization and its partners to move in four clear directions," said Kickley. "We developed these directions from what our stakeholders told us is important to them, and by analyzing projected population changes, the risks related to the increasing burden of illness and chronic disease and our changing workforce."

The directions in the strategic plan emphasize a need to focus on patient, resident and client safety as the first priority of the SCRHA; to reflect a commitment to establish quality workplace so that SCRHA can recruit a full complement of staff members over the long term; to embrace an environment that fosters the use of best practices for care; and to restate a commitment to ensure a sustainable and more integrated health care system for future generations.

Kickley said that he believes that in spite of future challenges, SCRHA can achieve its three-year goals by clearly articulating its priorities and by working with staff, communities and partners in health care.