The provincial government has announced that it will be adding 77 new and enhanced full-time positions in 30 rural and remote communities across Saskatchewan. Positions will be focused on improving emergency and acute care services, reducing service disruptions, and building a stable workforce in Saskatchewan.
The new and improved positions will have a focus on communities that have experienced service disruptions or have faced ongoing staffing challenges.
"Adding Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Radiation Technologists and other positions that deliver hands-on patient care reflect the shared commitment of the Government of Saskatchewan and SHA to ensure Saskatchewan residents have seamless access to care, as close to home as possible," said Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill."
Positions will be introduced in the following communities: Arcola, Assiniboia, Broadview, Canora, Estevan, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Kamsack, Kerrobert, Kindersley, Kipling, La Ronge, Leader, Lloydminster, Maple Creek, Melville, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Nipawin, North Battleford, Outlook, Porcupine Plain, Prince Albert, Redvers, Rosetown, Shaunavon, Shellbrook, Unity, Wadena and Weyburn.
The positions will be funded through $6.2 million, which was gained through savings by SHA's recent restructuring of administrative leadership. The remaining $4.2 million from those savings has already gone towards the creation of 27 new and 20 enhanced Clinical Manager positions in 45 rural and northern communities.
"This investment reflects our ongoing focus on strengthening care at the local level by placing permanent health care professionals in communities where they are needed most," said Saskatchewan Health Authority COO Derek Miller. "By stabilizing staffing and reducing service disruptions, we are helping ensure residents receive reliable access to high-quality care."
The 77 positions will span a number of roles, including Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Combined Lab and X-ray Technicians, Medical Radiation Technologists, and Phlebotomists. These roles will either see new permanent full-time positions or convert longstanding part-time vacancies into permanent full-time roles.
Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr says this is just one step in the efforts that the provincial government has made to expand staffing in the healthcare sector.
"Efforts include the Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive, adding several hundred new and enhanced positions in over 70 communities, implementing the Virtual Physician program, and expansion of Point-of-Care Lab Testing. Thanks to these initiatives, rural and remote communities saw a 28 per cent reduction in service disruption days. In the past 16 months, Virtual Physician coverage and Point-of-Care Lab Testing helped prevent more than 2,700 service disruptions."
Many of the new positions will be eligible to apply for the province's Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive, which can give new hires up to $50,000 over three years with a return in service agreement.