(Northwest Territories, October 30, 2025) –The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority’s Public Administrator (PA) hosted a meeting late last week with Regional Wellness Council (RWC) Chairs from across the Northwest Territories (NWT) to discuss matters related to health and social services. This meeting was of particular importance to ensure that issues that matter most to communities stay at the center of planning, as work continues to deliver health and social services programs and services that meet the needs of residents and align with the mandate of the 20^th Legislative Assembly and the mandate set out by the Minister for the NTHSSA PA.  

At the meeting RWC Chairs shared advice and recommendations with leadership built on lived experiences and information received from residents in communities.  Themes that emerged included importance of traditional healing practices in care provided to Northwest Territories (NWT) residents, the critical need for enhanced mental health supports across the territory and the importance of rapidly advancing the work related to medical travel modernization, based on feedback from residents and stakeholders.

Presentations were also offered to the PA and RWC Chairs. These updates were focused on topics the PA and RWC Chairs identified earlier this year as priority areas and are an important part of staying focused and ensuring alignment on improvement efforts. Topics included:

• PA Workplan: The PA shared updates related to his workplan and gave Chairs an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback in areas of interest to their region. The updated workplan will be shared publicly by the NTHSSA in the coming weeks.

• Deh Cho Patient Journey Mapping Project: This work is about prioritizing culturally safe patient-centred care, delivered as close to home as possible.  Staff from the NTHSSA and DHSS gave a presentation on work piloted in the Deh Cho to improve access to care for residents in smaller communities. This work aligns with goals outlined under the Primary Health Care Reform (PHCR) initiative and is intended to support future state planning for small communities’ access to health services.   

• Celebrating Successes: A presentation was offered to leadership around some of the creative ideas for improvement generated by staff and leaders in NTHSSA, how they have been tested, and the positive impact of these everyday improvements.  Across the organization, teams are regularly coming up with innovative ways to improve program and service delivery in a way that meets the goal for safe, high-quality, effective care. Celebrating these successes, no matter how big or small, continues to be a priority for NTHSSA. 

• Performance Indicators Project: The PA provided RWC Chairs with an update on ongoing work related to NTHSSA performance indicators, which is expected to be made available in November 2025. This work aims to enhance both internal and public understanding of NTHSSA’s activities by measuring performance against defined criteria. The project supports broader goals around staff engagement, public awareness, changing the narrative, and tracking progress on the PA’s priorities.

Chairs were pleased with the progress highlighted in these areas and re-affirmed their commitment to their top priorities from June and look forward to meeting in December to review further updates towards concrete improvements in health and social services program delivery.

Across all regions, important work is underway. Whether staff are in a frontline or administrative roles, there was discussion about how the contribution of each role is essential and valued. Each role, when coordinated together, strengthens the health and social services system and brings us closer to the outcomes we all want to see.

While these quarterly meetings are held privately to allow for focused and strategic discussion, public involvement remains essential to the process. RWC Chairs want to encourage all residents to participate in their local meetings. These RWC meetings are open to the public and serve as the primary venue for community engagement and feedback on matters related to health and social services. Watch for posters and social media/email notifications in your community about when these meetings are held or contact your local RWC Chair.

For more information visit https://www.nthssa.ca/en/governance.

Background:

RWCs serve as advisory bodies to the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services System, offering insight and advice that support improved delivery of programs and services. By actively listening to residents in communities, representatives can offer both a local and regional voice to the health and social services system.

Following governance changes earlier this year, RWC Chairs now meet regularly with the Public Administrator’s of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority and the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, alongside the Chairperson of the TCSA. This structure ensures that recommendations for improvements are heard and acted upon. It also establishes a formal mechanism for reporting and tracking of HSS system improvement initiatives, which strengthens accountability across the HSS system.

Media Requests:

For Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority media requests, including Regional Wellness Council Chairs or the Public Administrator, please reach out to nthssacomms@gov.nt.ca.