As part of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba’s health system, MRP has been asked to explore potential cost-savings within the program while ensuring efforts improve efficiency and effectiveness without negatively impacting quality of care.

As a program that services the entire province and is continuously facing increasing rates of kidney disease, MRP is constantly working on improving efficiency while focusing on patient health outcomes.
Between 2010 and 2017 the MRP dialysis patient population grew by almost 35 per cent. With an aging population and these growing rates, MRP has implemented many initiatives to help build sustainable kidney health care in Manitoba.

Building Sustainability

Examples of ways MRP has maximized resources while maintaining high quality patient care include:
Peritoneal Dialysis Community Care: MRP reassessed community needs and in response developed this program to ensure consistency of peritoneal dialysis care in Winnipeg which results in increased opportunity for MRP patients to utilize peritoneal dialysis. PD not only helps individuals retain existing kidney function, it has numerous health benefits and reduces the need to travel to hospital for treatment. PD is also a less expensive form of dialysis.
Home Dialysis: Since 2010, use of home hemodialysis in Manitoba has increased 280 per cent and the program continues to grow. Not only is home dialysis less expensive than in-centre hemodialysis, it can have many health benefits for patients including less medication, less restriction on diet and less exposure to infections. Home dialysis can also eliminate the need for transportation or relocation.
Innovative Equipment: MRP has worked to implement new technology that helps provide patients with more dialysis options and potentially reduce the demand on in-centre infrastructure. The NxStage home hemodialysis machine is more compact and user-friendly making it accessible to a broader group of people and helping grow the number of patients utilizing home dialysis.
Telehealth renal health clinics: In 2009 MRP launched the use of a telehealth renal health clinic in Thompson to accommodate clinic appointments for patients primarily from Thompson, Norway House, Swan River and The Pas. The initiative ensures patients have access to a health-care team but reduces the stress and cost of travel and time spent making travel arrangements.
Expansion of Local Renal Health Centres (LRHCs): Many MRP LRHCs were planned with opportunities for capacity expansion as needed. This approach is an efficient use of infrastructure and helps us streamline building capacity in already functioning centres with established staff and processes.

Sustainability Moving Forward

MRP will continue to look for ways to make kidney health services more efficient and effective. This will include efforts to reduce the rate of end-stage kidney disease in Manitoba and looking to other provinces for evidence and insights.
Our program will also be working with the Province and WRHA to implement any forthcoming plans stemming from the Health Sustainability and Innovation Review. As plans become known, MRP directors will take steps to share information with MRP staff and patients as quickly as we can.
If you have any ideas or thoughts around ways to make MRP more efficient and/or effective, you can share them by emailing kidneyhealth@sharedhealthmb.ca.
Thank you for all your hard work in helping delivery quality kidney health care to Manitobans.
Sincerely,
MRP Leadership