The Sunrise Health Region had a positive 2012, and hopes to build on that this year, while adjusting to challenges as they arise.
That was the message Suann Laurent, president and CEO of the Region gave Yorkton This Week in a recent year-end interview.
In terms of a highlight to last year Laurent said the Region's budget had to top the list;
"The past three years we've been in a balanced situation," she said, adding they have been able to do that while continuing to provide the range of services people in the region require.
In a report prepared for a SHR publication it was noted, "In 2011-2012, the year ended with a surplus of $3,005,741, of which $2,459,745 was for allocation of required transfers to the capital fund for mortgages, energy loan and reserve fund, leaving a general operating surplus of $545,996.
"In May, the Sunrise Regional Health Authority approved the plan for a balanced operating budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The budget consists of revenues totaling $208,674,511 balanced by total operating expenditures of $206,663,661 and $2,010,850 held for replacement reserves and repayment of mortgages and loans.
"The health region received a net provincial funding increase of $4.163 million or 2.4 per cent. The majority of the funding increase is needed to cover provincially negotiated compensation cost increases and inflation. The health care workforce is our largest investment each year, and in 2012-2013 will account for 78 per cent of expenditures."
Laurent said in the year ahead budgeting is likely to be a tight situation as they are not expecting a significant, if any, increase in terms of provincial funding.
"It could be very tough for the upcoming year," she said, adding that will mean asking some tough questions, in particular "what do we really need" in terms of expenditures.
" It's going to be a significant challenge this year."
Laurent said while the provincial budget will not drop for a few months, everything she is hearing suggests "it will be very tight this year," and that will reflect on health as well.
Laurent said a top priority for Sunrise Regional Health Authority in 2012-2013 was reduction of illness and injury in the workplace, and keeping our 2,899 member workforce working to maximum capability; wage driven premiums, sick time and injury related costs totaled $9.6 million in the previous year.
"Last year Sunrise Health Region had the highest rates of sick time and wage driven premiums in the province. One of the greatest successes this year is the complete turnaround in this area. Sunrise is now the third best performer in the province. Key to this turnaround was employee commitment and steps put into place to assist employees," detailed the SHR report.
"These 18 areas of strategic focus will continue until March 31, 2013 and will then become part of the daily work of the region. On April 1, 2013 our strategic focus will be a culture of safety, access to primary health care and sooner, safer, smarter surgical care.
"Continuous improvement through strategy will make health more accessible today and for future generations, and the daily work of our more than 2,900 employees, physicians and volunteers will continue to imbed quality into all areas of health care for the people we serve."
Laurent said that is something the Health Region has been working on by implementing strategic plans and processes which keeps everyone from the board table to front line health care workers aware of goals and how they contribute to achieving those goals.
"I think that's really quite helpful for everyone to see," she said, adding once people know what is expected, and can see tangible results they buy-in to the process.
At the heart of most targets are patients, and Laurent said employees are all anxious to makes change when they "know they're making a difference in patient safety."
When looking at patient care the Sunrise Health Region received $117,500 from the Saskatchewan government to improve patients' access to surgical care.
"The funding enabled the health region to continue to enhance post-operative and outpatient rehabilitation support and provide an increase in home care services to support additional needs across the continuum. Success has already been achieved in the Sunrise Health Region via Surgical Initiative funding with the addition of visiting orthopedic and vascular surgeons in 2011," stated the report.
"The investment is part of $60.5 million in additional funding for the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative, announced in the March 21, provincial budget.
"Sunrise Health Region is currently meeting the Surgical Initiative's second target of having no patients wait more than 12 months for surgery.
"By 2014, the province's goal is to provide all patients with the option of having surgery within three months. The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative began in April 2010. Since then, wait times have dropped dramatically. The number of patients waiting over 18 months for surgery has dropped 85 per cent, the number waiting 12 months for surgery has decreased 74 per cent, and the number waiting over six months has dropped 53 per cent. The number of people waiting more than three months is down 39 per cent."
Laurent said the work on surgical wait times is something happening across the province. She said it is another example of how provincial initiatives mesh with the desires of the regions, making cooperation a natural.
"Saskatchewan has been a leader in working together for a long time," she said.
The Region is nearing the target of 3,300 surgeries being performed this year.
"All of the wait lists for surgery have been cleared. Cancer surgeries performed in our region are completed within three weeks. Surgical safety check lists, and steps to reduce surgical site infections are additional safety strategies that were put in place this year. Hospitals in our region are nationally recognized as performing well and have among the lowest hospital standardized mortality ratio. The national average HSMR is 100 and the HSMR in Sunrise Health Region is 64," detailed the report.
Further to patient care on May 8, 2012 the Government of Saskatchewan announced eight Primary Health Care innovation sites in the province, including approval of a proposal submitted by Sunrise Health Region and its community partners of Yorkton and Foam Lake.
"Each innovation site in the province has a slightly different focus. Health regions will follow the progress of each site looking for the best practices to apply in their own region. This journey is just beginning. The Primary Health Care innovation site and our health care team will evolve over time. Initially, the Yorkton/Foam Lake Primary Health Care innovation site will focus on patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. At the clinic in Yorkton and the satellite in Foam Lake, patients will experience a variety of services including individual and shared medical visits with a team of health experts. Patients will learn how to manage their chronic condition from the team members and from the experiences of other patients with similar chronic conditions.
"We are excited to have Government approval and funding to move this prototype further ahead and are thankful for the enthusiasm of our community partners and the visionary leadership of Dr. Philip Fourie," said Laurent in the report.
Fourie also assumed a new role within the region in 2012.
In October Laurent announced Dr. Fourie as Senior Medical Officer (SMO).
"Dr. Fourie has practiced family medicine in Yorkton for over ten years, coming to Yorkton in 1999 from South Africa where he completed his medical degree at the University of Stellenbosch in 1995. Dr. Fourie also holds a Diploma in Anesthesia from the College of Medicine of South Africa. Past-president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association, Sunrise Health Region Medical Association, former Chief of Family Medicine for the Sunrise Health Region, and SMA board of director member since 2005, Dr. Fourie has served on several regional and provincial committees since 2000; Primary Care, e-Health, Pharmacy Information Program, Recruitment, Ethics, and Finance. We are fortunate to have someone with Dr. Fourie's experience to provide the leadership for continued transformation of our health region and to enhance team management," detailed the report.
"Leaving the position is Dr. Michael Bishop, who served as SMO since formation of the region and whose career in medicine has spanned 47 years. Dr. Bishop's steadfast leadership has fostered a positive environment upon which to grow our organization into the future, our region has benefited from his wisdom and experience and I am grateful to have witnessed Dr. Bishop's tireless dedication to his patients and his profession."
In terms of change the Sunrise Health Region also had a major resignation in 2012.
Greg Kobylka resigned his position as Chairperson of the Sunrise Regional Health Authority in September due to increased commitments outside of his role as Board Chairperson. Serving on the Sunrise Regional Health Authority Board of Directors since November of 2004, Kobylka was involved in a number of advancements and initiatives in Sunrise Health Region.
Lawrence Chomos was appointed in December 2012 as the Chairperson for Sunrise Regional Health Authority Board of Directors and Don Rae as Vice Chairperson.
Looking ahead Laurent said the Region will look at providing more support so that people can take greater control of their health management. She said health care must go beyond that provided within a hospital, and should include help for people looking to control chronic disease, lose weight, or stop smoking.
As is stands national smoking rates are 20 per cent, while within the region it is 29, she said.
"It shows us we have more work to do to help people make better decisions," she said, adding as a Region they must ask the question "what can we do to build a healthier community."
"In 2012 Sunrise Health Region approved a tobacco reduction strategy. The Sunrise Health Region Action Plan is a two-pronged approach to eliminate tobacco use on health facility grounds by July 1, 2013 and for on-going reduction of tobacco consumption in the community," related the report.
"We are currently training clinical staff to assist patients with tobacco cessation. Education and smoking cessation tools are being put into place to help employees and patients with tobacco addition cope while in hospital and on health region property. The new policy allows individual exceptions for residents in long-term care facilities, for ceremonial use, and when patients (due to their medical condition), are unable to utilize cessation tools.
"In the community a multi-faceted and multi-year approach is also being implemented in partnership with municipal governments and community partners. The goal is to support individuals in the community who wish to quit smoking and to educate the public about the need to reduce tobacco consumption and the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. Information to assist people in reducing tobacco use can be found on the health region website www.sunrisehealthregion.sk.ca
" Tobacco use is identified by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the single most important preventable risk to human health, and the greatest cause of preventable illnesses and premature death in developed countries. A substantial body of evidence about the harmful effects of tobacco use was referenced when developing the Sunrise Health Region policy and action plan which aligns with the Saskatchewan Tobacco Reduction Strategy Action Plan. There is practically no organ in the human body that is not affected by prolonged tobacco use. We cannot hope to achieve the health region's vision of healthy people in health communities without addressing tobacco use which is a risk factor for most heart and lung conditions and a variety of cancers."
Sunrise also implemented some new programs in 2012.
The ED (Emergency Department) Manager system was implemented in the Emergency Department of Yorkton Regional Health Centre as an electronic tracking system that helps care providers to define patient needs for timely care and to communicate updates on diagnostic tests and the movement of patients through the emergency department. Regularly updated information monitors are located in the Emergency and Laboratory departments, helping staff prepare for incoming work to allow clients a more efficient transition between required procedures by providing timely information for emergency care.
Sunrise was also the first in Canada to implement the use of smart cards. Smart cards have an embedded chip similar to a credit card which stores secure user information in an encrypted format. It allows staff members secure access to buildings and computers, allowing for a 'single sign-on' to all required computer applications.
