Carlyle and surrounding community members gained important information from a Community Leadership Network meeting held by Sun Country Health Region. This was the first year that these meetings have been open to the public and many attended in order to ask questions about health care in the region.
Sun Country welcomed a variety of municipal officials and the general public to the meeting held on Monday, April 15, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Skyline Motor Inn located in Carlyle.
The meeting acted as a platform for Sun Country to discuss specific topics including health and addictions services as well as the region's 2013-2014 Strategic Plan. The meeting also left time following the presentations that provided a venue for dialogue between Sun Country and the public.
Approximately 30 community members from Carlyle and the surrounding area attended the informational night to learn about Sun Country's plans for the future as well as voice their concerns regarding health in and around the Carlyle area. Residents of Redvers, Arcola, Carlyle, and even Oxbow travelled to meet with Sun Country as many communities within the health region are experiencing difficulties regarding health care.
Janice Giroux, Vice President of Community Health for Sun Country, addressed mental health and the stigma which society attaches to these illnesses. Giroux explained that mental illnesses such as depression are quite common; but, individuals are reluctant to come forward because of the shame associated with having a mental illness.
"If we have a physical ailment, we get treatment, but people who feel depressed and can't cope, don't seek treatment," Giroux explained.
This is something she would like to see changed as there are many services available to assist people with mental health concerns.
Duane Schultz, Regional Director of Mental Health and Addictions Services for Sun Country, presented information regarding adult mental health and services available.
"There are options and services for people with mental or emotional disorders," Schultz stated.
He spoke of psychiatric services available in the region, residential and support services, as well as the top three issues they are seeing regarding mental health. These top three include suicide ideation, anxiety or depression, and concurrent disorders. Concurrent disorders referring to someone who has been psychiatrically diagnosed, but is also dealing with addiction.
Garry Tedford, Sun Country Health Region Addiction Services Coordinator, addressed the cycle of addiction and explained what is being seen in our region regarding addictions.
"Many feel that the substance is a solution, that their only relief is through the use of the addiction," Tedford said.
This is what perpetuates the cycle of addiction because the problems being caused by the addiction do not compare with how the addiction makes the user feel, whether the addiction is alcohol, drugs, or gambling, the high they create often outweigh the issues that develop in the person's life.
The final speaker for the evening was Marga Cugnet, President and CEO of Sun Country Health Region. Cugnet addressed the 2012-2013 Strategic Plan, which had been in place last year while also introducing the 2013-2014 Strategic Plan for the health region.
Cugnet explained last year's Strategic Plan was quite successful. The health region laid out regional specific goals as well as those which had Sun Country partnering with the province. Overall the 2012-2013 Strategic Plan identified 17 key areas to improve with a majority being accomplished.
This year's Strategic Plan focuses on nine goals related to improving understanding of dementia, improving healthy living in childhood, increased education to people regarding strokes, ensuring proper antibiotic prescriptions, hand hygiene, injury reduction, medication administration, commitment to following safe practices, and finally physician recruitment and retention.
Though community members were interested in learning more about mental health, addictions, and the 2013-2014 Strategic Plan, it became evident through the question period following the presentations that audience attended specifically for the question and answer portion of the evening. This last 45 minutes was monopolized by the audience who voiced their concerns relating to the waiting times for doctors as well as the lack of physicians in the area and the need of increased recruitment and retention.
Concerned citizens brought up lengthy wait times when attempting to see physicians even though the 2012-2013 Strategic Plan shows more accessibility. In response Cugnet had to question where these services were being sought. In regards to Oxbow the health region would not have included the clinic in their stats for increased accessibility because it is not operated by Sun Country, it is operated by the physicians.
For those in Carlyle and surrounding communities the wait time is still higher than Sun Country would like to see. In response they have been speaking with a locum group, based out of Regina, about offering services here. They are also continually working towards recruitment of physicians to the area.
Cugnet also explained that the Primary Health Care team is important and assists physicians. Nurse practitioners, mental health, dieticians, physiotherapists, physicians, and more are working together to ensure people have access to a health care worker that would benefit them.
The Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment Program (SIPPA) was also discussed. Lately communities have been dependant on physicians completing the SIPPA program; but, have had their hopes crushed prompting dialogue between those in attendance.
When questioned on the percentage of doctors failing SIPPA, Cugnet responded, "30 percent, which is higher than expected."
The program of SIPPA, however, was recently opened to applicants from all medical schools around the world. Previously they had only allowed learned doctors from seven countries, which means that the individuals finding doctors to be placed into the program will face a learning curve. It will take time to discern which schools or countries promote a program that best prepares physicians for practicing medicine in Canada.
The importance of finding ways to retain Saskatchewan medical graduates was also addressed.
"We need to find out what it is Saskatchewan graduates need to stay and not just in Saskatoon or Regina," Cugnet stated.
In this instance the public agreed and suggestions from the crowd included the importance of promoting their communities and letting graduates know why their community is a good place to be.
A distributive learning model is also being put into place where residents work in clinics before graduating from the College of Medicine. Currently resident students are practicing in the Cypress Health Region and Sun Country is putting in place the strategies for a successful program to begin in 2014.
"We need a well established program," Cugnet said, "We have to make sure everything is in place before we begin because these are students that need to pass and we don't want them to fail because we were unable to teach them properly."
A question from the crowd was asked regarding recruitment of physicians. Currently physicians are matched to communities based on interests. If they would like to perform surgeries, then they are going to be choosing between positions in Weyburn and Estevan. However, if the physician is a general practitioner they are able to choose between all vacant positions in the region.
The question focused on possible benefits of creating physician placement to mirror that of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP are able to provide a wish list as to which posting they would like to be posted at; but, members of the RCMP understand that they will not necessarily be placed in these areas and may be required to live anywhere in Canada.
Essentially, if physicians were delegated where they had to live for two years and then were welcome to move to a place of preference, would this be more effective?
To this the idea of doctor retention being stronger if they choose the community was brought up, which is debatable as there is a chance the physician would enjoy the community if sent there and may not have had the opportunity otherwise.
Following the question period the meeting concluded.
The crowd's response was of mixed feelings overall after the meeting. Happy to have been given an opportunity to voice their opinions and ask questions, some remained disappointed as they felt relatively little "new" information was provided.
Despite mixed feelings about the meeting it was open to the public, which is something that many citizens in the Carlyle area have been requesting over the past few months as they've been dealing with the challenges of hospital closures and doctor shortages.
