The provincial government has announced the members of a task force formed to address surgical backlogs.

The health care system is still bouncing back from a series of unforeseen circumstances, starting with Snowmaggedon in January of 2020, followed by two years of pandemic protocols and delays and the cyber attack in October of 2021.

In response, the province announced a partnership with the University of Otttawa Heart Institute to try to address the backlog in cardiac surgeries, as well as a plan to perform hip and knee joint replacement surgeries.

Government also established a task force to address the backlog in surgeries and procedures.

$27 million of $2 billion in additional health care funding provided to the provinces by Ottawa is coming to this province to help deal with surgical waitlists among other things.

Members of the task force include surgeons and clinical chiefs of staff from across the province.

The surgical backlog task force members are:

· Dr. Rod Martin – Former Chief of Surgery, Eastern Health (Co-Chair)

· Ms. Andrée Robichaud – Chief Executive Officer, Central Health (Co-Chair)

· Ms. Vanessa Mercer-Oldford – Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Services, Department of Health and Community Services

· Ms. Debbie Walsh – Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nurse, Eastern Health

· Dr. Greg Browne – Chief of Staff, Eastern Health

· Dr. Cherry Pike – Clinical Chief of Children and Women’s Health, Eastern Health

· Dr. Mark Spurrell – Chief of Surgery, Central Health

· Dr. Scott Mackenzie – Chief of Surgery, Western Health

· Ms. Antoinette Cabot – Vice President of Clinical Services, Labrador Grenfell Health

· Ms. Yvette Coffey – President, Registered Nurses Union of Newfoundland and Labrador

· Ms. Nicole Parsons – Regional Representative, Registered Nurses Union of Newfoundland and Labrador Board of Directors

· Dr. Will Moores – Orthopedic Surgery, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association

· Dr. Matthew Andrews – Urology, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association

· Dr. Chris Cox – General Surgery, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association

· Dr. Lesley Johnston – Anesthesiology, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association