The Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation met for their AGM late last week in Swift Current.

A large part of the meeting was dedicated to discussion on the effect of Health Region amalgamation on the foundation.

With Dr. Noble Irwin being a major contributor to the Cypress Health Region, Executive Director Clay Thompson speaks on what the move to one provincial health authority will mean for their role in the southwest.

"I think we'll be even more relevant, as it applies to healthcare, than we were yesterday. As important as I think our job is on an on-going basis, it might even become a little bit more important as we move forward - just my opinion," he said. "Sometimes the outside of the wheels don't get as much attention as they used to (during these types of changes). It's our job then to make sure that doesn't happen in the southwest."

Despite feeling an increased sense of importance for the Dr. Noble Irwin Healthcare Foundation moving forward, the Executive Director still feels it's business as usual.

"I don't know that it's going to be a whole lot different," Thompson said. "We're on the inside track a little bit, because the relationship we have with the Cypress Health Region isn't going to be a whole lot different than the relationship we'll have with the new provincial health authority because we've always had a system where priorities are established for the whole region, not for one facility. I like our opportunity as we move to work with them."

Thompson says he looks forward to a strong rest of 2017, and hopes that they can expand their donor base as they move further into the year.