Emergency Room hours expand in Porcupine Plain starting July 1
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is advising residents of Porcupine Plain and area of expanded emergency room hours at the Porcupine Carragana Hospital starting Saturday, July 1 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with the official launch of the Virtual Physician (VP) pilot program.
Virtual Physician pilot is a temporary measure that uses HealthLine 811 to provide nursing staff with remote access to physicians located elsewhere in the province during periods of physician shortages or other coverage issues in a community.
Due to the remote nature of the VP program, ER patients requiring urgent or life-threatening care will be transported to an appropriate acute care facility for treatment by an on-site physician. The status of on-site care of patients that present to the ER will be determined by the health assessment of the VP, will be limited according to the scope of practice of the Registered Nurses (RNs) and Combined Laboratory and X-ray Technologists (CLXTS) on duty, and may require Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transport to another location for treatment.
In addition to launching the pilot, the SHA has continued to work to fill gaps with on-site physician coverage over the summer months with locums. This work, along with the support of the local on-site physician, and nursing, lab, and diagnostic imaging staff, has resulted in the initial increase in ER hours from the current hours of 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Following this first expansion, starting Monday, July 10, the SHA will then further increase ER hours to 8 a.m. to 12 midnight daily.
A second physician is currently in the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program and is expected to begin providing services in Porcupine Plain in July.
The SHA is committed to restoring 24/7 emergency services in Porcupine Plain and full ED and acute care services will continue to expand when additional local physician resources become available. Alternate Level of Care (ALC) admissions will remain in place in the meantime.
In the event of an emergency, residents should call 911. If residents have questions about their health or mental health, professional advice is available by calling 811 to reach the Saskatchewan HealthLine toll-free 24 hours per day.
Recruiting and retaining health professionals is a top priority for the SHA and the government. Expanding the Rural Physician Incentive Program is part of the Government of Saskatchewan's nearly $100 million investment in 2023-24 to support the Health Human Resources Action Plan, which includes several initiatives to recruit, train, incentivize, and retain doctors and other health care professions.
Recently, the provincial government announced enhancements to the Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP) to help attract more family physicians to rural and northern communities across Saskatchewan. More information on the enhanced RPIP program, including program eligibility, may be found at saskatchewan.ca/rural-physician-incentive.