Evidence of meeting #58 for National Defence in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was services.
A recording is available from Parliament.
LGen Lise Bourgon
Maple, the telemedicine initiative, was created based on total health and wellness. The Maple services that are available to our families as they move across the country are part of a clear initiative that was produced.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
I'm looking for measurable changes and whether we've seen improvement.
LGen Lise Bourgon
—in terms of how many people from our families access Maple.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Okay. It would be great if you could provide that to the committee.
The total health and wellness strategy included the hiring of 30 additional occupational therapists and 48 additional nurse case managers to support recovery. Have those hires taken place? Are those personnel now in place?
MGen Marc Bilodeau
Thank you.
We've done a first wave of hiring of case managers and occupational therapists through the first wave of funding that we had. This year we're receiving a second wave of funding that will allow us to complete the hiring process for—
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
The 48 is contingent on receipt of the funding that's just—
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Thank you.
The strategy included the establishment of an additional office of disability management and additional regional offices. Has that taken place?
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
That's fantastic. If you don't have an answer, that's great. If you will undertake to provide it later, then we can get more questions in.
We've heard even today that getting access to family physicians for families is difficult. How many members' families currently lack a family physician?
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Is it that you don't have it at your fingertips or that the forces doesn't track it?
LGen Lise Bourgon
The movement and the agility of the forces and the data change daily, but we'll look into this to see if we have access to that.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Okay. I think that would be an important one to track. If we're talking about the factors that affect the ability to recruit and retain, I think we'd like to know about the status of families and their ability to access basic medical services for their families. That's if there's data. If there isn't, I think there probably should be.
How many members' families lack access to mental health services in the communities near where they're stationed? Many members are stationed in Canada quite far from large urban centres, so this is a real challenge. Do you know how many members have access or lack access?
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
I mean family members. How many members' families have access to those services?
LGen Lise Bourgon
Again, this is not something I have on hand. Hopefully we are tracking this, because again it is part of the evidence that we need to better understand—
LGen Lise Bourgon
—as we look at gaps in recruitment and retention. You have to remember that this is not our mandate, but we do need to facilitate that mandate for the recruitment and retention of our people.
Conservative
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Okay. If you could, ask your staff if that data exists, and please have it sent to the clerk of the committee.
Do I have any time left at all, Mr. Chair?