Saskatchewan welcomes new hospitals, community health centres in 2019
This year marked a significant change in health care in Saskatchewan with new hospitals and community health centre openings, active recruitment for health care professionals and strategic investments in mental health and addictions services.
“This year saw the opening of key health capital investments that will improve care for many in the province,” said Saskatchewan Health Minister Jim Reiter. “Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford celebrated its grand opening in March and, recently, the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital officially opened to provide exceptional care to Saskatchewan children and families.”
Reiter added that two community health centres also opened this year. The Gardens in south central Regina and Market Mall in Saskatoon will provide enhanced team-based community services support to residents with multiple conditions who would typically use emergency departments. Working with health care professionals in a clinical setting will support better health outcomes for those receiving care.
With the opening of the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford and the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, Reiter said that both projects will have significant impacts on patients, their families and the healthcare teams delivering care.
“The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital is much more than a building,” said Reiter. “The hospital has assisted in recruiting a number of pediatric specialists that can only improve the care available to Saskatchewan children.”
The new children’s hospital will staff 72 physicians in 20 pediatric medical and pediatric surgical specialties. To date, almost 60 are already at work in Saskatoon, while the work on recruiting to fill the remaining positions continues with positive results.
Since its opening in March, the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford is working to serve patients across the province who need longer term psychiatric rehabilitation. The hospital includes 188 psychiatric rehabilitation beds and a separate secure wing with 96 beds for offenders living with mental health issues.
“It provides a safe, dignified care setting for some of our most vulnerable residents and staff, replacing a facility which was more than 100 years old,” said Reiter.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is striving to make the province an attractive place to work while prioritizing training of Saskatchewan residents who are more likely to make their careers here.
The number of licensed physicians in Saskatchewan has seen a 49 per cent increase since 2007, which means close to 900 more doctors in the province. The province is also training more doctors in the province by adding 40 seats to the College of Medicine and doubling the number of medical residency positions to 120.
The province has also added 3,800 nurses during the same period. In 2011, Saskatchewan added 280 new training seats for registered nurses (RNS) and four years later doubled the number of training seats for nurse practitioners (NPS) to 40. Since 2008, 56 new seats for registered psychiatric nurses (RPN) have been added, including 16 seats in North Battleford starting this fall.
Reiter added that the province is also making efforts to address the concerns of rural and remote locations. “This government has introduced clinical placement bursaries and grant funding for hard-to-recruit positions, and programs like the University of Saskatchewan’s undergraduate nursing ‘learn where you live’ program in La Ronge, Ile-a-la-crosse, Prince Albert, Yorkton, Regina and Saskatoon see hundreds of nurses gaining experience in centres around the province and in the north. Through this program we are encouraging students to consider careers closer to home or in smaller centres.”
Mental health and addictions continue to be a priority and the latest provincial budget contained the largest investment in this area in history at approximately $333 million. Some services that have been implemented this year include 10 additional inpatient treatment beds at Pine Lodge in Indian Head, six additional treatment beds in Calder Centre, strengthened detox supports in La Ronge, up to 12 new full-time staff to more effectively serve children and youth with mental health issues, and 18 new mental health walk-in counselling clinics through Family Services Saskatchewan. The province is also funding an internet-based cognitive behavior therapy program that improves access to this important service across the province.
“Every person interacts with the health care system,” said Reiter. “Providing compassionate, appropriate care takes a team of more than 43,000 professionals all around the province in hospital and care home settings, in clinics and physician offices, in community centres and pharmacies. It is a team-based approach that serves all Saskatchewan residents now and into the future, and we remain committed to offering the best supports for both patients and staff moving forward.”
Providing compassionate, appropriate care takes a team of more than 43,000 professionals all around the province in hospital and care home settings, in clinics and physician offices, in community centres and pharmacies.
- JIM REITER, Saskatchewan Minister of Health