Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan helping to stabilize rural acute and emergency room services

Communities in rural Saskatchewan are seeing improved access to acute and emergency services with the support of the Government of Saskatchewan’s Health Human Resources (HRR) Action Plan. Residents in Lanigan, Watrous, Biggar, Canora, Kamsack, Wolseley, Oxbow, and Porcupine Plain have benefitted from recent recruitment efforts, along with the use of innovative technology. Recruitment is also integral in retaining existing staff in some rural and remote communities.

“We are working to ensure residents of rural communities have the services they need and appreciate their ongoing patience and understanding as we work to restore and stabilize these important local health care services,” Saskatchewan Health Authority’s (SHA) Vice President Integrated Rural Health Brenda Schwan said.

It takes a combination of nurses, Combined Laboratory and X-ray Technology (CLXT) professionals, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, and physicians to provide Emergency Room (ER) services and acute care beds and maintain safe, predictable patient care. Highlights of recent successes include the following:

• Effective October 22, 2023 Lanigan Hospital has once again started providing emergency services seven days a week (8 a.m. to 7 p.m.) as opposed to just weekdays. This news was recently shared with the community after two additional Registered Nurses (RNs) were recruited through the Ministry of Health’s Human Resource Action Plan. Lanigan has also been designated as one of the sites to receive RNs from the Philippines.

• As of September 24, Watrous Hospital has re-opened its ER to provide 24/7 services along with eight inpatient beds. The SHA successfully recruited a dedicated team of Registered Nurses (RNs), marking a pivotal step in the hospital’s journey toward providing quality and accessible care.
• Three new Registered Nurses (RNs) have been recruited to Biggar & District Health Centre, providing additional support to maintain 24/7 ER services and operation of eight acute care beds in that community. All RN positions have now been filled. One of the first five RNs from the Philippines arriving in Saskatchewan this summer has been recruited to Biggar and will begin clinical placement in October 2023 and a second will arrive in February 2024. A nurse practitioner has also been recruited to work in Biggar.

• The recruitment of two RNs for Canora Hospital and Collaborative Emergency Centre (CEC) has contributed to stabilizing staffing resources in that facility. Securing locum physician coverage has also minimized service disruptions and ensured patient access to acute care. The addition of a permanent Nurse Practitioner (NP) to provide walk-in clinic services has also improved access to primary health care (PHC), reducing pressure on the ER to help minimize service disruptions. This brings CEC to 2 permanent full-time Nurse Practitioners.

• The addition of three RNs and one Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Kamsack Hospital has helped maintain the current ER hours from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. seven days a week, as well as the re-opening of eight beds (5 Acute, 3 ALC) in that community. The recruitment of a fifth physician to the community has also increased patient access to care through the expansion of PHC services to three neighboring First Nations communities.

• Four new grad RN positions have been hired at Wolseley Memorial Integrated Care Centre, supporting progress towards a phased service resumption plan aimed at restoring emergency and acute services Monday to Friday, with virtual care after hours, weekends and statutory holidays. More recently, booked outpatient care services have also resumed, improving patient access to care locally.
• Recently, the SHA has taken a significant step forward by launching the Virtual Physician (VP) pilot program in Oxbow and Porcupine Plain. This has resulted in the full resumption of 24/7 ER service and acute care admissions at Porcupine Carragana Hospital. The VP pilot program is an innovative temporary solution aimed at addressing physician shortages or coverage issues in the community. By utilizing HealthLine 811, nursing staff have been able to consult with remote physicians located elsewhere in the province during critical periods. This remote access allows for timely consultations and medical advice for patients.

These recent recruitment successes are being attributed to a number of Ministry of Health and SHA’s initiatives including:

• enhancements to the Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP);
• rural and remote recruitment incentive for individuals hired into hard-to-recruit classifications;
• recruitment of health care professionals from the Philippines;
• and, active promotion of employment opportunities for nursing graduates.

“We are pleased to see these focused efforts and HHR investments paying off with improved and expanded access to care as close to home as possible, and improving work environments with additional staff and technology enhancements. This work creates the foundation we will build on to achieve similar success in other rural communities,” Schwan said. “We remain committed to stabilizing services in rural communities to achieve our vision to improve the health and well-being of everyone, every day.”