Ministerial Mandate Letter - Health and Wellness

Dear Premier,

Please accept this letter as response to your mandate letter to all Ministers for the Department of Health and Wellness.

Along with Health PEI, the Department of Health and Wellness ensures Islanders have access to high‑quality, sustainable health services while promoting wellness, prevention, and system stability.  Our mandate includes leading improvements in primary care, stabilizing the health system, advancing public health, and improving the overall well-being of Islanders across all life stages.

Our priorities are designed to address immediate pressures while laying the groundwork for long‑term stability and resilience. Through evidence‑based decision‑making, careful planning, and disciplined investment, the Department will help ensure systems remain strong, adaptable, and sustainable for the future.

Specific Priorities and Actions for the Next 12–18 Months

Improved access to primary care and community-based services:

• Expand access to team-based primary care through collaboration with Health PEI, physicians, nurse practitioners, frontline providers, and partnerships with community-based providers.
• Advance recruitment and retention initiatives, including Practice Ready Assessment pathways.
• Expand scopes of practice where appropriate, including pharmacists, and introduce regulation for naturopaths.
• Continue to expand community health centres to improve access to care closer to home.

Reduced wait times and improve system flow:

• Implement centralized referral, triage, and waitlist management systems.
• Expand surgical and diagnostic imaging capacity.
• Collaborate with Atlantic partners to improve patient pathways and system integration.
• Increase long-term care and transitional care capacity to reduce pressure on acute care.

Strengthen and support the healthcare workforce:

• Work collaboratively with Health PEI and frontline teams to improve recruitment, retention, and workplace supports.
• Support workforce development initiatives, including LPN to RN bridging programs.
• Expand training, residency, and clinical learning opportunities.
• Reduce administrative burden and support care delivery through new innovations.
• Enhance transparency and accountability through regular public reporting on system performance.

Advance prevention, wellness, and population health:

• Continue implementation of the Live Well PEI approach, focusing on healthy living and chronic disease prevention.
• Expand access to publicly funded vaccines, including meningococcal B, by offering more flexible and convenient options for seniors, families, children, and students.
• Renew the Mental Health and Addictions Strategy and the Provincial Suicide Prevention Strategy.
• Support youth‑focused prevention initiatives, including substance use prevention, school‑based programming, and evidence‑based programs such as PreVenture.
• Strengthen protection against infectious diseases by ensuring rigorous infection prevention and control standards are met in personal care service settings.

Support Island families and priority populations:

• Modernize and implement a sustainable fertility treatment program.
• Improve access to care and services for seniors, including long-term care and community-based supports.
• Undertake a home-based care review to better support seniors who choose to age at home.

Invest in healthcare infrastructure and system capacity:

• Ensure facilities support modern, team-based models of care.
• Advance master planning for a new Kings County Memorial Hospital.
• Continue work on the Mental Health and Addictions Capital Redevelopment Project with the goal to open the Mental Health and Addictions Wellness and Transition Centre by the end of 2026. 
• Continue investing in community health centres and learning spaces for healthcare professionals.

The Department’s approach to fiscal responsibility is grounded in prioritizing primary care, as well as prevention and wellness initiatives, which are among the most cost-effective health interventions available. Investing in prevention reduces long-term pressure on acute care services, improving wait times and stabilizing the healthcare system. All initiatives will be implemented with transparency, accountability, and a commitment to reducing unnecessary red tape.

Sincerely,

Hon. Cory Deagle