Shared Health Statement from Dr. Chris Christodoulou, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer & Georgina Veldhorst, Vice President, Quality, Performance & Strategy

We acknowledge the release of the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) report on the Management of Dialysis Services in Manitoba and thank the OAG for its careful review and thoughtful recommendations.

As the organization responsible for provincial health system planning and coordination, we take these findings seriously. Dialysis is life-sustaining care, and strong oversight, clear accountability, and effective planning are essential to ensuring Manitobans receive the safe and timely care they need.

We are carefully reviewing the report in detail and will work closely with regional health authorities, government, staff, patients and families, and communities to fully understand the findings and recommendations.

Many of the issues identified reflected complex, system-wide challenges that required coordinated action across Manitoba’s health system. The reporting period also occurred during a time of significant system transition and pandemic response, underscoring the need for sustained, coordinated planning going forward. Shared Health is committed to upholding standards of care and is commitment to the patients and their families, staff and the communities we serve.

Work is already underway in several areas related to provincial planning, integration, and performance monitoring, and the OAG’s report will help inform and further strengthen this work.

Since 2024, several important steps have been taken, including:

• Establishing a provincial subcommittee to lead the planning of kidney health services and ensure high-quality care across Manitoba.
• Creating a Policy and Procedure Committee with a mandate to review, update, and develop provincial policies, procedures, and other controlled documents.
• Launching regular online education sessions for all kidney health staff, including those working in community renal centres,to support ongoing learning and skill development.
• Hiring Home First coordinators to support patients transitioning to home-based treatments by guiding them from clinic-based care to managing their health at home.
• Creating a dedicated Shared Health resource for kidney health clinical planning and strengthening additional supports for Kidney Health Manitoba.

A five-year strategic plan was developed after meeting with various community partners and health experts. The plan focuses on three main goals:

1. Reducing the Need for Dialysis

The goal is to “bend the curve” (slow down the rising number of people needing dialysis) by:

• Identifying kidney disease in patients much earlier.
• Starting preventative treatments sooner.
• Slowing the progression to more advanced kidney disease.

2. Managing Resources Wisely

• Ensuring the most appropriate types of treatment for each patient is utilized.
• Optimizing funding for in-centre dialysis across the province.

3. Making Life Easier for Patients and Families

• Reducing the stress on patients and their families by providing care closer to home.
• Expanding options for dialysis including Home Hemodialysis (HHD) and Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), and in-centre dialysis, wherever it is financially and medically possible to do so.

Moving forward, our focus remains on improving outcomes for patients, supporting the dedicated workforce who deliver dialysis and other critical services across Manitoba, and, most importantly, being accountable for our stewardship in the management of renal services.