This past Thursday I announced, on behalf of the Government of Manitoba, that regulation changes have been passed to change and strengthen regional health authority (RHA) boards.
RHA Boards are made up of appointed individuals that comprise a board of directors on each of the five provincial RHAs. They are responsible for the board governance and related decisions in the regional health authorities that they are appointed for. Board members are generally residents of the RHA region which they serve.
The regulation changes the size of these boards along with updating the selection process. As a result the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority will move to 15 board members from 21, while rural and northern region health authorities will move to 12 from 15 board members. The reduction in the size of the RHA boards is in keeping with a cross government effort to reduce the size and number of boards.
In addition, as Minister of Health, I also announced that the selection of Board members going forward will use criteria that measures, skills, abilities and experience. The selection of board members will be based on a range of knowledge and skills, such as; governance in public-sector, private-sector or not-for-profit boards, government structures and processes, healthcare, law, business, finance and accounting, among others. This will ensure that not only are qualified individuals selected, but the mix of board members provides the best set of skills on the boards. This is in keeping with the recommendations of the Auditor General as it relates to appointments to provincial boards and commissions.
Other provinces are moving towards smaller-sized boards with criteria based selection, to ensure members are able to carry out their responsibilities effectively. We are confident these changes will bring Manitoba in line with other jurisdictions and are consistent with our approach to reduce the size of boards in other areas of government.
The province is now accepting nominations for regional health authority board members who would like to use their personal and professional experience to guide the provision of health care across the province. The criteria for nomination are as follows: be 18 years of age as of the date of the appointment; have a strong commitment to improving the health system, to supporting the region and to improving the health of Manitobans; have strong communications skills; have the time to prepare for and attend board meetings on a regular basis; and comply with regional conflict of interest guidelines.
Any resident of Manitoba may nominate someone, including themselves, for the board of a regional health authority. Nomination forms are available at local regional health authority offices, community health offices, in regional health facilities, or online. Nominations are due by Sept. 16. Nomination forms may be submitted directly to a regional health authority office or to the department of health, seniors and active living. For more information, visit gov.mb.ca.
