Members of the Sun Country Regional Health Authority (SCRHA) gathered in Weyburn on Sept. 30 for their first meeting following the summer.
Among the topics they discussed was the 2015 influenza vaccination campaign, which will begin on Oct. 19. Dates and locations for the clinics will be posted on the health region’s website and on local posters. Anyone at least six months of age can receive the vaccine and is encouraged to be vaccinated early in the season.
The Sun Country Health Region (SCHR) says the flu vaccine is a safe, effective way for people to protect themselves and those close to them during the flu season.
Vaccination is especially important for people who are at a high risk of serious complications from influenza, like pregnant women, young children, the elderly, persons with underlying health conditions, immune-compromised people and their caregivers.
The SCHR has also announced the dates and locations for the two meetings of their community network to discuss local health care issues with the public. The first meeting will be Nov. 18 at Kenosee Lake and the other will be the next night in Weyburn. Both meetings will begin at 7 p.m.
Invitations will be sent to the regional partners in the urban and rural municipalities.
The health region reported there has been a 50 per cent improvement in the number of patients visiting primary health care teams in the region, reducing the need for them to attend local emergency departments. The result has been a 10 per cent reduction in the number of patients visiting emergency departments with conditions that could be seen in a doctor or nurse practitioner’s office.
SCRHA members found out the region had a $1.4 million surplus in their operations at the end of July. John Knoch, the health region’s vice-president of corporate and finance, noted the amount represents about three days’ worth of operating funds for the region.
SCHR president and CEO Marga Cugnet said this is a good position to be in as the region heads into the winter months, when higher salary and utility costs come in.
Purposeful rounding, a revised process that requires staff to make hourly contact with long-term care residents, is being implemented in long-term care facilities in the region. Cugnet said interaction with residents has increased, and the desired outcomes are being achieved in the facilities, which have started the new process.
The health region has established a committee to plan for a new hospital in Weyburn. A draft project brief has been completed for the Ministry of Health. A location for the hospital hasn’t been determined.
“A lot of factors go into the identification of a location, including making room for a helipad to allow STARS (the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society Air Ambulance) to operate,” said Cugnet. “We don’t have approval to proceed to construction, but we will keep the public informed as we move along. The process is similar to that used for the three long-term care projects built in the region over the past four years.”
