The Sun Country Health Region is under new leadership as CEO Marga Cugnet retired as of the end of day Friday, while John Knoch, vice-president of Corporate and Finance, has been appointed as the acting president and CEO by the health region board.
Cugnet, along with vice-president Murray Goeres, accepted the voluntary separation package offered by the provincial government. The province is in the process of amalgamating all 12 health regions into one province-wide health region, so the CEOs of all regions were offered the voluntary package, along with the vice-presidents if they weren’t seeking to be part of the provincial health region.
The voluntary separation ends a 42-year career for Cugnet, who has worked in this health region for 37 years.
She noted she made the decision to take the voluntary separation package around March 21, and her last meeting with the Sun Country board was on Wednesday.
Knoch has 27 years of service in leadership roles in health care and in public service in Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. He is a chartered professional accountant, certified management accountant, a certified health executive, and serves on the Saskatchewan Health Employees’ Pention Plan Partner Committee, and the Canadian College of Health Leaders, Assiniboia Chapter executive.
Cugnet began as a nurse in the Weyburn hospital, and began her first management position with the former South Central Health District in 1995. She was made the interim CEO in September of 2010, and was appointed to the position in 2012 for the Sun Country Health Region.
Her first introduction to her career in health care actually came as a junior high student, when she took part in the junior volunteer program, known at the time as the Candy Stripers program.
“That was my introduction to nursing at the Weyburn General Hospital,” said Cugnet, noting that being a CEO was “exciting” for her, and was an extension of the leadership role she first took on at the South Central Health District, where she was able to enact “change to make it better for the patients.” Being made the CEO gave her the opportunity to meet people at the provincial level as well as lead the board in making improvements at the local level.
Cugnet said she was proud that Sun Country has had four newer long-term care facilities introduced in the last few years, from Tatagwa View (which replaced the old Souris Valley Extended Care Centre), and the new facilities at Radville, Kipling and Redvers.
Of those facilities, she is particularly happy with the dramatic change in how long-term care was provided, by going to a more home-style of care from the institution-style that was prevalent at Souris Valley.
“It’s become the model right across the province, and those principles were adopted in the new facilities across the province,” said Cugnet.
She added that patient and family care have always been important to her, as she has oriented her nursing that way throughout her career.
“I think to embody that in the culture of the region is vitally important,” said Cugnet, adding that as a volunteer she will continue to be involved as part of the patient-family committee for the health facilities, just not as staff.
Cugnet noted the plan is for the new provincial health board to be formed this spring.
The government introduced the legislation for the single provincial health authority on March 28, with the new authority board to take effect in the fall. At that time, the 12 health regions will be dissolved, and the new legislation will provide oversight for compensation levels of the CEO and those who report to the CEO, and will allow for the creation and continuation of Community Advisory Networks, to ensure community needs and interests are identified and advanced.
Donations raised by local foundations, such as the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation, will be used for the local facility the funds were raised for, and the new legislation will establish the specific roles of the Health Minister and the provincial health authority.
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“Not everything can happen in one day,” said Cugnet, noting there is a transition period through this year as various aspects of the new health authority are decided on and set, such as the structure and composition of the provincial health authority and integrated service areas, and the composition of the board.
“Having a strong connection to rural Saskatchewan, I know how important health care is to communities across this province,” said Rural and Remote Health Minister Greg Ottenbreit.
“Our government is committed to ensuring that the local voice continues to be heard within the new health system structure,” he added.
The full implementation of recommendations made by the Advisory Panel on Health System Structure will be phased in over time. Many of the transformational initiatives recommended by the panel will take more time to fully implement, including the redesign of clinical services like laboratory and diagnostic-imaging, acute care services, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Looking ahead to the amalgamation of 12 health regions into one province-wide board, Cugnet said, “It’s going to be a big change. … There’s going to be changes, and changes are scary. I want to reassure the community, and the public, the stability of services is key to the health care, and improving health care for everybody is important. I think it will be exciting, and in the end there will be a better health care system for everybody.”
