The Saskatchewan Health Authority is restructuring its leadership in a move aimed at strengthening health care delivery in rural and northern communities, increasing frontline support, and improving the integration of physician leadership throughout the province.
At a press conference in Saskatoon on Thursday, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill and SHA CEO Andrew Will outlined a plan that will see $10.4 million in annual administrative savings reinvested directly into the health system, most notably into enhanced clinical leadership at the point of care.
“At the end of the day, this is about patients and making sure that patients have access to high-quality care,” said Cockrill, who praised the SHA for taking what he called a “well-considered approach” to building a more efficient and responsive system.
The SHA will eliminate 26 senior out-of-scope administrative roles as part of the restructuring, along with other corporate and management positions. There are no planned cuts to in-scope or frontline staff positions as part of the changes. Of the $10.4 million in savings, $4.2 million will fund new and enhanced clinical manager positions in 45 rural and northern communities, while the remaining $6.2 million will be redirected toward system-wide patient care priorities. There were no confirmed communities where these new clinical manager positions will be placed.
“These changes will support patient care priorities across the health system and add clinical manager positions in many of our rural and northern communities,” Cockrill said.
SHA CEO Andrew Will said the restructuring follows a detailed internal review focused on realigning leadership resources toward patient care.
“This change is about building a leadership model that is sustainable, streamlined and better aligned with the needs of local communities,” Will explained. “Strong local leadership means communities have connections with leaders who know and understand their health care needs.”
In addition to changes at the facility level, the SHA is also introducing a new senior physician leadership structure. The current physician executive model will be replaced with six new deputy chief medical officers, who will report to the SHA Chief Medical Officer and operate under a co-leadership model.
These new medical officers are intended to strengthen physician involvement in system planning, quality improvement, and decision-making, according to the SHA. Recruitment for the new positions is being conducted in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Medical Association and the College of Medicine.
“We identified the need to improve role clarity, strengthen physician engagement and truly integrate physician leadership within all levels of leadership,” Will noted.
The implementation of the new and enhanced Clinical Manager roles will begin this summer, with the full rollout expected to be complete in the fall.
The Saskatchewan government says the restructuring supports the province’s broader health care strategy by reinforcing its commitment to patient-centred care, fiscal responsibility, and stronger local leadership across Saskatchewan’s health regions.