SASKATOON — Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill believes the Urgent Care Centre’s (UCC) proximity to St. Paul’s Hospital will help ease the capacity of the facility on the west side of the city once it opens in fall 2026.
The UCC is being built on the former Pleasant Hill School on Avenue S South, about three blocks from St. Paul’s Hospital. Although it will not operate 24 hours, the centre is expected to have a significant impact on overcrowding at St. Paul’s emergency department.
“It's certainly an advantage, right with the way patients are triaged when they present to an urgent care centre. If a patient at the UCC really needs to be at St. Paul's, it's just a quick ambulance ride a couple of blocks away,” said Cockrill.
“St. Paul's is becoming a more and more critical hub of care, certainly in Saskatoon, and especially on the west side of Saskatoon. I do think there are definitely some synergies, given the location.”
On Sept. 2, Cockrill, Premier Scott Moe, Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation Chief Larry Ahenakew, Ahtahkakoop Cree developments CEO Jay Ahenakew Funk, and Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Andrew Will provided an update on the facility’s progress, which is now 25 per cent complete.
St. Paul’s is undergoing an expansion project through the SHA and the hospital foundation’s combined efforts to improve patient accessibility, flow and safety. The project will also include First Nations and Métis Healing Cultural Centres.
Cockrill said the Saskatoon UCC will provide residents with additional access to health care, functioning as an alternative to emergency departments for minor illnesses and non-life-threatening injuries that still require treatment.
He said the UCC will triage patients using the same process as emergency departments across the province, as is done at the Regina facility. The centre is designed for patients with lower acuity.
“There's a [Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale] scoring system that we use in health care. Urgent care can serve CTAS 3s, CTAS 4s, and some CTAS 2 patients; however, the focus is primarily on addressing the higher-acuity patients,” said Cockrill.
A patient with a CTAS 2 score has conditions such as chest pain, signs of stroke, or severe bleeding that need prompt treatment to prevent further worsening.
CTAS 3 could potentially become serious.
CTAS 4 patients have less urgent conditions, such as minor fractures, sprains, and chronic but stable illnesses, and are not experiencing severe pain.
Cockrill added that what is unique about UCC facilities is having staff and a support system to address mental health and addiction challenges, which communities in the province, including Saskatoon, are experiencing.
“Having a separate intake space in both Regina and this [UCC] here in Saskatoon, for people that may be presenting with mental health challenges, that's unique. First of its kind in the country,” said Cockrill. “Trying to provide a safe opportunity for people to come forward in a stigma-free environment to say, ‘This is what I'm struggling with, this is what I'm dealing with, can we get some help?’ This facility here in Saskatoon is a partnership with Ahtahkakoop Cree Developments.”
Chief Ahenakew added that the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) has brought forward a program in mental health and addiction for the UCC, which will also feature a daycare, pharmacy and imaging services.
“We will hire staff to help people who come through the centre with mental health and addiction issues. SIIT is going to put on a program on mental health and addictions,” said Ahenakew.
