Speaking at Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) annual general meeting June 26, board chair Irene Odell said she believes the organization’s accomplishments during the 2024-25 fiscal year “have been nothing short of extraordinary.”
Key highlights include the onboarding of one new permanent ER physician, expanded hours and availability for one more, and the hiring of eight nurses, 20 PSWs, and 35 other staff members; opening of the CT and mammography units; and launch of the Minden Health Hub, which recently added gynecology services and an internal medicine clinic.
HHHS also secured accreditation with commendation through Accreditation Canada in its standard four-year re-examination.
President and CEO Veronica Nelson, who is leaving her position in September, said surveyors, “acknowledged a significant positive change in culture… [and] raved about the implementation of electronic medical record systems, including Epic and Alayacare, and the positive impacts on improved documentation, flow of consistent information, and ability to use data for informed decision-making.”
As of March 31, HHHS had 387 employees who worked 490,000 hours, with an 84.1 per cent retention rate. This has seen the organization’s reliance on agency staffing drop from 13.9 per cent a couple of years ago to 1.3 per cent last fiscal year.
Nelson noted that has been a considerable factor in HHHS improving its financial position over the past 12 months. Chief Financial Officer Ulvi Iskhagi-Bayat said the organization achieved a $2.5 million net surplus for the year, thanks in part to an additional $10 million in one-time funding from the ministries of health and long-term care – $42.3 million compared to $32.5 million in 2023-24.
In total, the organization brought in $48.4 million in revenues and reported expenses of $45.7 million. Wages and benefits made up two thirds of the hospital’s costs, climbing to just over $30 million from $23.1 million last fiscal – a result of having 63 additional employees on the books.
HHHS’ net debt at year end is just under $3.1 million, with a net working capital deficit of $4.7 million, which Iskhagi-Bayat said was driven by the organization’s sizeable operating deficit between 2022 and 2024.
Nelson said she’s continuing to advocate for increases to HHHS base funding, upping the amount it’s entitled to from MoH, in place of continuous one-time contributions.
During a public Q&A, Nelson was asked if this would be a good time to consider amalgamating HHHS with Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, given she’ll be taking the reins there in the fall. She said that question was put to Ross and Peterborough Regional Health Centre figureheads recently during HHHS hospital master plan submission, with both entities saying it didn’t make fiscal sense.
“It doesn’t mean we won’t deepen our partnerships, but [we won’t] integrate,” Nelson said.
The numbers
The number of emergency department visits dropped nine per cent, down to 15,967 from 17,480, though Nelson said that was to be expected with the closure of the Minden ER. There were 625 admissions, an increase of seven per cent, with patients spending a combined 5,677 days in the hospital, up 11 per cent.
HHHS ran an occupancy rate of 104 per cent, up from 93 per cent.
“That means we had patients in unconventional spaces or in halls. That’s not good when you’re a patient,” Nelson said. The Haliburton hospital has 15 inpatient beds. “Adding beds to our hospital is a key part of our master plan.”
As of March 31, the Haliburton site did 10,228 x-rays, 2,995 CT scans, 2,035 ultrasounds, and 562 echocardiography exams.
Under community support services, HHHS ran 7,652 medical/program-related trips for 412 clients, completed 20,486 Meals on Wheels deliveries, racked 16,389 hours in assisted living, adult day program and supportive housing services, and recorded 663 hospice and 681 foot care clinic visits.
