CEO Report - November 30, 2023
CEO Report: Highlights of strategic priorities focused work accomplishments
The SHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) highlighted our strategic roadmap and the progress being made in a number of priority areas over the past months. A concerted focus on the Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and our partners, continues to recruit, train, incentivize and retain health care workers across the province. The SHA has interviewed and provided conditional offers to 416 Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN’s) from the Philippines. New and enhanced positions have been added to support rural and remote stabilization in communities where emergency room and acute care are in service disruption or at risk of service disruption. Extensive engagement on a First Nations & Métis Recruitment and Retention strategy occurred between October 2022 through February 2023 across the province with Tribal Councils, independent First Nations, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, Post-Secondary Institutions and internal Saskatchewan Health Authority stakeholders. Three new anesthesiologists have been recruited into Integrated Rural Health and are expected to start their clinical practice within six to eight months. SHA Practitioner Staff Affairs and the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency are collaborating to focus on psychiatry recruitment.
Rural and remote stabilization is championing a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing services and bringing stability to rural and remote sites across Saskatchewan. This work includes the Virtual Care Emergency Room physician pilot which has successfully maintained emergency room services in Porcupine Plain and Oxbow as well as the Point-of-Care Testing pilot in Leader, Maple Creek and Wynyard which enables health care professionals to perform bedside lab tests to prevent Emergency Room disruptions in sites experiencing lab staff vacancies.
Work continues in our Connected Care goal to reduce surgical wait times and improve health outcomes and patient flow. This included the opening of Saskatchewan’s first Seizure Investigation Unit in September 2023. There are currently 24 active major capital projects underway in partnership with the Ministry of SaskBuilds & Procurement and the Ministry of Health. These projects include large acute facilities, such as Prince Albert Victoria Hospital replacement, long-term care facilities, such as Grenfell Long-Term Care, large infrastructure projects, such as the Regina Electrical Infrastructure Renewal Project, and Urgent Care Centres located in Regina and Saskatoon. In response to increasing overcapacity across Saskatoon hospitals, the Saskatchewan Health Authority developed the Saskatoon Capacity Pressure Action Plan which identifies immediate targeted deliverables to address capacity pressures in Saskatoon emergency departments. A sincere thank you to all of the dedicated staff that are working hard to enhance our services for residents in Saskatchewan.
Chief Medical Officer’s report: Priority work on the Health Human Resources Plan and Physician Recruitment
The office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) continues in its work to support the goals and targets of the 2023-24 Roadmap including the focus on advancing physician health human resources (HHR) to meet the current and future healthcare needs of Saskatchewan. HHR initiatives to recruit, train, incentivize, and retain physicians support the stabilization and expansion of the physician workforce across the province. Additional work contributes to building a stronger healthcare system through rural and remote stabilization as well as improving access to mental health and addictions services.
The Government of Saskatchewan (GoS) invested in enhancing the Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP) with an allocated $1.8 million, and in the expansion of the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) from 36 to 45 seats with an allocated $4.3 million. The SHA has dedicated resources to support these investments and continues to work closely with our partners to ensure success. The SHA continues to focus on the recruitment and retention of anesthesiologists and psychiatrists in Saskatchewan, aiming to stabilize and enhance patient access to these specialty services. The CMO continues to prioritize the support of our physician leaders, including work to maintain the Bylaws, physician leadership development, and process improvements for practitioner staff reappointments. Physician leadership is core to the SHA and the CMO works to support physician leaders, strengthen their skills, and provide them the tools to succeed in their leadership work.
Other Items of Note
- SHA Patient and Family Rights and Responsibilities: Our Commitment to Each Other: The Saskatchewan Health Authority Board of Directors approved the SHA Patient Rights and Responsibilities document, a provincial articulation of patient and family rights and responsibilities reinforcing our shared commitment to SHA values and Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) among patients, families, staff and physicians. The rights and responsibilities of patients are aligned with the core principles of PFCC (dignity and respect, information sharing, participation and collaboration) and also reaffirm our commitment to cultural safety as an outcome of cultural responsiveness. A provincial commitment of patient and family rights and responsibilities ensures that no matter where patients access care, the same rights and responsibilities for patients and families are clearly articulated and education is provided on rights and responsibilities.
- Reappointment of Practitioner Staff – Delegation of Decision-Making Authority: Members of the Practitioner Staff of the SHA are appointed or reappointed for terms of 1-5 years. Practitioner Staff are required to apply for reappointment prior to the expiry of their term. Currently, the SHA Board has the sole and exclusive power to appoint and reappoint members to the Practitioner Staff and to grant privileges. In order to allow a more efficient physician reappointment process, the Saskatchewan Health Authority Board passed a motion authorizing the CMO to make all reappointment decisions, in addition to appointment decisions.