Saskatchewan Health Authority addresses Regina Capacity Pressures
In response to heightened capacity pressures in Regina, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is releasing its Regina Capacity Pressure Action Plan (RCPAP) today.
Last month, the SHA shared the work underway in Saskatoon to address ongoing capacity challenges. The RCPAP similarly outlines specific actions and strategies that will address issues being experienced within Regina hospitals.
“We acknowledge hospital capacity pressures are impactful not only for our patients seeking care, but for our staff, physicians and ambulance providers who are providing excellent care,” said Derek Miller, SHA Chief Operating Officer. “Taking targeted action in Regina to address capacity pressures will benefit Regina residents and support patient flow from our regional centres. The SHA is working to address unique capacity pressures in our urban hospitals, which will provide a direct benefit to capacity pressures across the province.”
Designed by the SHA, with support and collaboration from the Ministry of Health, the RCPAP outlines several concrete actions to alleviate and address the immediate pressures facing Regina hospital capacity, while introducing long-term measures to meet the current and future needs of Saskatchewan residents accessing health care services in Regina.
“Regina’s tertiary hospitals are facing capacity pressures that are be exacerbated by seasonal respiratory viruses and a rise in patients presenting with increasingly complex needs,” said Shelia Anderson, SHA Vice-President of Integrated Regina Health. “We understand from past experience, this will continue through the holiday season, so the actions already completed and those underway are meant to both address challenges now as well as the anticipated surge in demand in the weeks ahead. Our goal is to better support our dedicated staff and partners in Regina and across the province.”
Over the next 90 days, the following will build on initiatives already completed the past number of months:
- working to add additional staff within acute care to support timely and appropriate discharges from acute care to free up inpatient beds more quickly;
- addition of more palliative home care resources to prevent Emergency Department presentations and to support decreased inpatient admissions and lengths of stay;
- opening four additional high-acuity beds at Regina General Hospital;
- increasing adherence to existing Overcapacity Protocols to transition patients to the most appropriate care environment in a timely manner, and;
- increasing chronic disease supports in the community to avoid unnecessary Emergency Department visits.
The significant recent actions in 2023 that have been made to increase hospital capacity in Regina, include:
- the addition of 28 medicine beds at the Pasqua Hospital;
- the addition of Emergency Room staff including Registered Nurses, physicians, security personnel, and porters;
- the addition of four General Internal Medicine Admitting physician FTEs;
- addition of six high acuity beds at Regina General Hospital acting as step-down ICU unit to ensure capacity for those patients requiring Critical Care services;
- addition of two 24/7 staffed ambulances in the community;
- the addition of six hospice beds at Wascana Rehab Centre, and;
- an announced additional community Policy and Crisis Team (PACT) in Regina.
Additional significant efforts are underway, in collaboration with the Government of Saskatchewan, including the Health Human Resources Action Plan and the construction of the future Regina Urgent Care Centre which is anticipated to open in mid-2024. Both initiatives will have a significant benefit to health service capacity in Regina and surrounding areas.
The SHA commits to continued engagement with staff to hear their ideas, understand their needs and ensure we are working collaboratively to provide the best possible care to our patients not only in Regina and Saskatoon, but across the province. SHA executive and senior leadership will continue to visit care areas to ensure we can remove barriers and challenges as they occur and adapt activities to ensure needs are well known and responded to.
Anyone who needs medical care will continue to receive care despite capacity pressures. The SHA encourages all patients with urgent and emergent medical concerns to access emergency health services or by dialing 911.