Past News

Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority Regular Board Meetings - Open to the Public

Next Meeting: July 7, 2011 from 1pm to 5pm & July 8, 2011 from 9am to 3pm
Location: SHSSA Board Room, 2nd Floor Heritage Hotel, Norman Wells

If you would like to be a delegate at the board meeting please contact Julia Kubrakovich at 867-587-3651 or julia_kubrakovich@gov.nt.ca at least one week prior to the meeting.

Summer Safety

Summer is a fun time that can be packed with activities but it is also a time to be wary of preventable injuries and conditions. In the Sahtu Region from now until the end of summer the Prevention and Health Promotion team will be promoting Health Canada's Safe Summer Fun providing awareness and tips on how to get the most out of the season. It will include awareness information about: air and sun, food and drink, house and yard, outdoor sports and safety. Please have fun and participate safely!

Sahtu Gets Two Nurse Practitioners

October 14, 2009

We are enhancing our continuum of Primary Community Care services with the addition of two Nurse Practitioners in the Sahtu. Kristy Feltham and Kathleen Fairey look forward to providing care to the residents of the Sahtu. They will be rotating through the communities monthly to see patients referred to them by the Community Health Nurses.

What is a Nurse Practitioner (NP)?

The NP is a registered nurse with advanced education in health assessment, diagnosis and management of illnesses and injuries, including ordering tests, prescribing drugs and referring to specialists.

What does a Nurse Practitioner do?

The NP does everything a registered nurse (RN)does plus:

independently diagnoses diseases, disorders or conditions and then communicates them to the client;
orders and interprets screening and diagnostic tests, such as lab, X-ray, ultrasound;
selects, prescribes and monitors the effectiveness of drugs;
contributes to evidence informed practice through research and special projects;
refers to other members of the health care team such as physicians, specialists, OTs, PTs;
is a clinical resource on the team; and
demonstrates leadership in advanced nursing clinical practice.

Kristy Feltham will be providing service to Fort Good Hope, Colville Lake and Norman Wells. Kathleen Fairey will be providing service to Tulita, Deline and Norman Wells.

HPV Vaccine

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the name of a family of viruses that can cause cervical cancer and skin and genital warts. The HPV immunization is offered free of charge to all girls in grade 4. A catch-up program will also be offered over the next 5 years for girls in grades 9-12.The vaccine is given at school as a series of three doses over a six-month period. At this time, HPV vaccine is only licensed for use in girls and younger women.

Click here for more information .

Dental Contract

A new Dental Contract has been forwarded to the funding agency NHIB for finally approval. We are hoping to have a Dental Schedule posted on our Web site in the near future.

Prevent the Flu!

Audio recordings offering basic information about influenza are now available on the Department of Health and Social Services website in North Slavey and 4 other indigenous languages.

Click here and scroll down to the "audio" section to hear the public service announcement.

Sobriety Celebrations!

In counselling, all too often, we get caught up in focusing on the problems. We get so fixated on the things that need changing in our lives that we forget to stop and look at the progress that we have made. We forget to acknowledge and celebrate the positive changes that we’ve worked hard on creating and maintaining. So, in order to take a step back and celebrate the positive, the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority will be holding a monthly sobriety celebration. We will be putting together a monthly gathering of cake and goodies in each community to honour and commemorate the important milestones of individuals in their own journey of sobriety. Dates and times will be posted in the communities to give people enough notice. Attendance is welcome to all and we hope that people will take the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of others as well as take a moment to reflect on their own accomplishments in their own lives.

Nutrition for Weight Loss Workshop

On May 21, 2009 the regional nutritionist provided an evening workshop on nutrition for weight loss. These small group settings are great for transferring knowledge and creating awareness around the benefits of good nutritional practices.

Long-Range Portable Phones in Colville Lake

Our Primary Community Care Workers spend a significant amount of time outside the Health Station doing home care visits, prevention and health promotion activities and responding to community needs as they arise. In order to ensure clients can reach the health station the Authority is installing long-range portable phones so our employees can be reached when outside the facility. One more thing SHSSA does to ensure clients have great access to services.

Financial Audit

Every year the Authority undergoes a stringent financial audit. This year’s audit dates are June 5th – 8th, 2009. Our audited financial statements are reviewed and approved by our Board of Trustees, and in compliance with our Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Health and Social Services, sent to the Minister of Health and Social Services.

H1N1 Influenza Screening

As a public health and worker safety precautionary measure all our facilities are actively screening clients that enter the facilities for influenza like symptoms. Screening involves asking the client a few questions to determine the level of precautionary measures needed. Please help us protect each other, family and friends.

New Strategic Plan in Development

SHSSA has hired Tait Communications and Consulting out of Yellowknife to facilitate employee, client and stakeholder consultations to help formulate a new strategic plan and refresh our vision, mission, and value statements. Client consultations are scheduled as follows: Norman Wells – May 19th evening, Fort Good Hope – May 20th evening, Colville Lake – May 21st afternoon, Tulita – May 27th evening, and Deline – May 28th evening. If you’re interested in providing input please call the health center in your community. Client focus groups are limited to a maximum of 16 people and may be adjusted to ensure the group meets the community’s demographic characteristics.

Human Swine Influenza

Anyone who has recently returned from Mexico and has flu-like symptoms (low grade fever, cough, runny nose and fatigue) is encouraged to contact their health care provider or call 1-888-920-3026 or call the Tele-Care health line at 1.888.255.1010.

For more information, click on the following link:

Human Swine Influenza (NWT Department of Health and Social Services)

STI Telephone Campaign

The prevention & health promotion workers did a sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) telephone campaign in Deline and Fort Good Hope during the week of April 14 to 17, 2009. The campaign consisted of the workers calling all house holds that were listed on the community phone list to provide them with basic information on sexually transmitted infections, how to get tested and to remind them to have their annual well man/woman physical exam done. An appointment to provide more detailed information on STI’s was offered to each house hold and the number for tele-care was provided. Home visits were done to house holds that did not have a telephone. Plans are being made for the same STI campaign to take place in Norman Wells, Tulita and Colville Lake in early May.

Diagnostic Imaging Picture Archiving Communication System

DIPACS – Diagnostic Imaging Picture Archiving Communication System is coming to the Sahtu over the next 18 months. DIPACS capability allows digital x-ray pictures to be captured, stored and sent to radiologists electronically eliminating traditional transportation of film, which saves both time and money. Clients get results faster and SHSSA can reallocate courier costs into service areas.