Mountain View County councillors have approved a new health funding policy and related procedures with some modifications from the original draft reviewed by the policies and priorities committee on July 2.
Council passed a motion approving the new policy on July 9.
In March councillors OK'd an annual budget of $62,500 for health initiatives that support the residents of the municipality.
The policy's stated goal is to provide a fair and equitable method to distribute health care funding in the county. It includes a number of stated principles:
• This funding is directed to support health programs and services for enhanced and sustainable health care.
• Any allocated funding for health care initiatives must have direct benefit to the residents of Mountain View County.
• Projects and programs shall support health initiatives in a capacity such as promotion, prevention, treatment, continuing care, or rehabilitation.
• Health funding may not be awarded for projects/programs that are eligible for existing funding from Alberta Health Services.
There are number of procedures outlining conditions for application, eligibility, as well as other guidelines.
Health care-related organizations that operate within the county or support the operations of local facilities are eligible to apply for funding.
The original proposed policy reviewed July 2 included “health foundations, health trusts, professional attraction and retention committees” as among those groups eligible to apply for funding. That line was removed in the policy approved July 9.
Applications for funding must include a description of the project, a statement describing community benefits, an outline of the project goals and objectives, the proposed budget, including revenues and expenditures and all other sources of funding, and a timeline for completion of the project.
Approved funding may be used for health professional attraction and retention, health foundation initiatives, and other health care initiatives approved by council.
All initiatives must be started within one year of funding approval and completed within two years of approval, unless otherwise approved by council.
One of the guidelines states: “If the proposed project will be beneficial to an urban municipality, that municipality should contribute an equal per capita amount to the project. This funding commitment should be obtained by the applicant prior to Mountain View County council approval.”
Funding requests up to and including $2,000 may be approved by the CAO, while requests over $2,000 must be approved by council.
Groups and organizations can apply for 2014 funding until September 15.
