OUTLOOK - Two and a half dozen communities around the province will have their local health care sectors bolstered, with the town of Outlook being one of them.
The provincial government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) have announced that a total of 77 new and enhanced permanent full-time positions will be added in order to benefit 30 rural and remote communities around the province.
This particular measure comes less than two months after the SHA assumed control over the operations of the Outlook Medical Clinic on June 1.
The new health care positions will carry goals of improving emergency and acute care services, reducing service disruptions, and continuing to build a more stable health workforce across the province.
Since 2022, a total of 315 new and enhanced positions have been added in rural and remote areas as part of the provincial Health Human Resources Action Plan, and these new 77 positions will put a focus on communities that continue to experience service disruptions or have faced ongoing staffing challenges.
Much like similar clinics in similarly-sized communities, Outlook is no stranger to service disruptions or staffing challenges that have made it difficult for some people to see a physician in a timely manner, making this announcement perhaps a much-needed and most desired boost to the local health care sector.
"Adding Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Radiation Technologists and other positions that deliver hands-on patient care reflect the shared commitment of the Government of Saskatchewan and SHA to ensure Saskatchewan residents have seamless access to care, as close to home as possible," Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in a media release. "The SHA has closely scrutinized their costs and identified savings that will help fund these essential positions and provide positive care to patients in communities stretching across the province."
These positions will be funded through $6.2 million in annual savings resulting from the SHA's recent restructuring of out-of-scope administrative leadership. Announced back on June 12, the SHA's administrative leadership restructuring effort achieved $10.4 million in total annual efficiencies by reducing 26 senior out-of-scope leadership positions, along with additional reductions in corporate, management and support roles. The SHA reports that it has already directed $4.2 million of these savings toward the creation of 27 new and 20 enhanced Clinical Manager positions in 45 rural and northern communities, strengthening on-site leadership and improving local oversight of care delivery.
"This investment reflects our ongoing focus on strengthening care at the local level by placing permanent health care professionals in communities where they are needed most," Saskatchewan Health Authority COO Derek Miller said in the media release. "By stabilizing staffing and reducing service disruptions, we are helping ensure residents receive reliable access to high-quality care."
The 77 positions include a range of clinical roles such as Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Combined Lab and X-ray Technicians (CLXTs), Medical Radiation Technologists (MRTs) and Phlebotomists. These roles will either create new permanent full-time positions or convert longstanding part-time vacancies into permanent full-time roles. This will support improved recruitment and retention of positions, reduce reliance on contract staff and promote more consistent emergency department coverage.
Past stabilization efforts have demonstrated measurable progress in reducing service disruptions in rural and remote areas.
"This is the latest progressive step forward in our plans to strengthen rural and northern health care teams that are making a real difference to the people of Saskatchewan," Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr said in the release. "Efforts include the Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive, adding several hundred new and enhanced positions in over 70 communities, implementing the Virtual Physician program, and expansion of Point-of-Care Lab Testing. Thanks to these initiatives, rural and remote communities saw a 28 per cent reduction in service disruption days. In the past 16-months, Virtual Physician coverage and Point-of-Care Lab Testing helped prevent more than 2,700 service disruptions."
Many of the new positions will be eligible to apply for the Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI), which provides up to $50,000 over three years with a return in service agreement. Since its launch in 2022, the RRRI has supported the hiring of more than 400 health professionals in approximately 70 communities, resulting in reduced vacancies, improved staffing levels and greater service stability across the province.
In addition to Outlook, positions will be introduced in these other communities around Saskatchewan: Arcola, Assiniboia, Broadview, Canora, Estevan, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Kamsack, Kerrobert, Kindersley, Kipling, La Ronge, Leader, Lloydminster, Maple Creek, Melville, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Nipawin, North Battleford, Porcupine Plain, Prince Albert, Redvers, Rosetown, Shaunavon, Shellbrook, Unity, Wadena and Weyburn.
These new positions are part of the ongoing implementation of the provincial Health Human Resources Action Plan, launched in 2022 to recruit, train, incentivize and retain Saskatchewan's health workforce. The provincial government and the SHA both say they remain committed to working together to enhance the delivery of health services in rural and remote communities.
