British Columbia will establish a new organization next spring to bring administrative and corporate services from across all health authorities into one office.
Health Minister Josie Osborne said Wednesday the move was informed by the province’s ongoing review of health authorities, which is expected to be completed early next year.
She said the new standalone shared services organization will help reduce redundancies across the health system and help authorities share ideas and best practices.
Currently, the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) provides some shared services, but Osborne said not every authority has opted to join into the services, leading to inefficiencies. She said all health authorities will be required to participate in this new organization.
Osborne said the PHSA will remain focused on providing province-wide services like cancer care.
The new organization would handle services like legal, supply chain, finance and human resources. The province said services will be gradually transitioned to the new organization.
“The governance structure will be set up in a way that local and regional voices are valued, because we know that communities know their needs best and need to be heard at tables like these,” said Osborne.
It’s not yet clear where the new services organization will be located, how many staff it will have, or even what it will be called.
The province said 1,100 positions have been eliminated, closed or left vacant since the health authorities review began in March.
Osborne said that’s expected to save the province about $60 million in the next fiscal year. She said other measures taken by health authorities to cut spending have resulted in savings of about $260 million this year.
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