Service Disruption Process
As of November 1, 2023, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s service disruption process has been updated to include an online reporting tool, saving time and increasing reporting accuracy. This is a key tool that will help us stabilize health services in rural and remote communities.
What is a service disruption?
The SHA recognizes that health services experience disruptions for a variety of reasons, and disruptions vary in terms of length and impact. The following disruptions are considered especially significant and must be reported formally in Integrated Rural and Integrated North portfolios, Lab and Medical Imaging disruptions in rural/north as well as disruptions within the Maternal/Children's portfolio:
Complete ER, OR, Critical Care, Acute Care, MHAS inpatient unit or service disruptions
- Example: Patients must be admitted or transferred outside their home community/network to receive care normally available to them due to the disruption.
- Example: Complete Operating Room shutdown due to the shortage of Anesthesiologists.
- Example: Emergency Room disruption due to physician, nursing or lab shortage.
Complete healthcare facility or unit disruptions
- Example: power outages, water line breaks or major weather events that require staff and patients or residents to relocate.
Rural/North Lab and Imaging services that will result in acute care, emergency room or health center disruptions
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Example: staff are re-directed from a Health Centre in order to maintain acute or emergency services elsewhere.
Note: This reporting tool is not intended for Overcapacity Reporting or when bed reductions occur, but some service is maintained. Please report these events through existing processes.
If my portfolio is not in Rural or North, can I still utilize this process?
Yes! Once your portfolio has landed a consistent approach for service disruptions, you are welcome to utilize this process. Directors and/or Executive Directors should notify Community Engagement and Communications if you would like your team to come onboard. Health Emergency Management also has a service disruption template that you can refer to.
Do I still need to email a disruption poster with the new process?
No. All of the details of your disruption will be automatically submitted to the Director you identify, as well as other internal SHA departments who have a need to know about this information. If you need a poster to post at your facility, the application will pre-populate a poster that you can print and use, or share as needed.
Please note: During initial implementation, feedback and edits to the online fillable form are being batched so they can be reviewed collectively. Should your team need changes to the form before you can adopt it, there may be a delay in implementation to accommodate provincial review.
The service disruption working group is co-sponsored by Integrated Rural Health, Integrated Northern Health and Community Engagement & Communications.
Please direct process questions to the most appropriate contact:
- Jessica Campbell - Executive Director, Primary Health Care - Integrated Northern Health
- Jacqui Kennet-Peppler - Executive Director, Primary Health Care - Integrated Rural Health
For help filling out the online form or with problems accessing the dashboard: