The board chair for Southern Health-Santé Sud admits he is concerned with changes announced last week to the structure of regional health authority boards in this province.

Rural RHA boards will be shrinking from 15 to 12 members and anyone wishing to sit on a board is asked to submit their nomination by mid-September, even those currently on the board.

Guy Levesque says dropping three board members will result in a slight cost savings, but he says salaries are not large.

In making the announcement, Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen stated that as a result of reducing the size of boards, "We think they will manage themselves better as a board."

Levesque says he does not know how reducing the size of the board will make it more efficient.

"(The Health Minister) will have to come out with the answer on that because I don't know how it can be more efficient," says Levesque. "The only thing I can see is a bit of a cost saving, if that's what he means by efficiency."

Levesque says having a smaller board will mean members will have to make sure they attend as many meetings as possible.

The Health Minister notes reducing the number of board members should not change the level of representation coming from any one community in the province, and, Levesque agrees. He says when new members joins the board, he makes it clear to them that they are representing all of Southern Health-Santé Sud, not just the community they live. Levesque says for the most part, board members understand.

"But the people on the street don't think that," he says. "If there is something they don't like at their local hospital and if you're from that area, they will go after you, they will come at you to ask you questions."

Meanwhile, with no board member being assured they will be invited back, Levesque says he does not think this is a good way of doing business.

"I think you should have some continuity," expresses Levesque. "I think the nicest way to do it and I think it would be the most effective way to do it is that as the terms are expired you replace them."

When regional health authorities merged four years ago, Southern Health-Santé Sud was given 15 board members; five were appointed to three year positions, five were appointed to two year positions and five were appointed to one year positions. Each of the one and two-year positions has already been reappointed. This is done through the Minister of Health. 

Levesque says if there are wholesale changes, it will be very difficult on staff.

"Please think of the staff because they just went through a merger not that long ago, it was like starting from scratch," suggests Levesque. "If you change the whole board in one shot that's exactly what you're doing again, you're starting from scratch."