
Aidan Jaager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
With a focus on increasing bedside staff, restructuring administrative leadership, improving provincial coordination, and lowering costs to the system, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has plans to shake up the way it approaches day-to-day healthcare.
The SHA on Thursday unveiled the changes, saying restructuring efforts will save $10.4 million, and result in 47 new or expanded clinical manager roles across 45 rural and northern communities.
Here are a few things to know about the restructuring …
WHAT CHANGES DID SHA MAKE?
The SHA says it will focus on redirecting resources to frontline care, with more resources and leadership appointed at “the point of care to ensure support is closer to where patients receive services.” That includes more bedside staff such as nurses, doctors and therapists.
“This work reflects our commitment to building a leadership structure that is sustainable, integrated, and focused on meeting the needs of patients, health teams and communities,” said SHA CEO Andrew Will.
“These changes allow us to reinvest directly into areas that support the delivery of high-quality care, while strengthening leadership where it is needed most: at the point of care.”
Enhancements include 14 new, full-time on-site clinical managers for multi-service facilities and nine new full-time on-site clinical managers responsible for multiple locations. Additionally, the creation of four on-site clinical managers based in rural communities will provide oversight within designated health networks.
Transitioning current part-time roles to full or near full-time positions in 20 communities will aim to enhance on-site leadership and presence, the SHA said.
There will be also changes to the senior physician leadership structure.
The SHA is introducing a new model, establishing six deputy chief medical officers who will report to the chief medical officer and provide leadership alongside vice presidents. Recruitment began May 23, with the new roles scheduled to take effect July 14.
The new model will replace the current senior physician leadership structure and include revised accountabilities for the chief medical officer position.
Clinical manager positions will be enhanced in nearly four dozen communities across the province.
WHY WERE THE CHANGES MADE?
In 2023, the provincial government acknowledged the sheer volume of high patient numbers, crammed spaces and staffing shortages, and launched a set of hospital-capacity pressure action plans in Saskatoon and Regina.
As well, in recent years several rural hospitals have been forced to temporarily shut down emergency care due to insufficient staff. With these closures, urban centres are overwhelmed, placing strain on the facilities in Saskatoon and Regina.
Additionally, many rural residents and health professionals have described feeling disconnected from decision-makers. The new changes, with clinical managers being placed in rural communities, should make stronger and more responsive administration, the SHA said.
“Following our review, we identified the need to improve role parity, strengthen physician engagement and involvement in decision making, and truly integrate physician leadership within all levels of leadership,” Will said.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said he can “say directly from the health care workers and union partners that I’ve talked to, and more importantly from patients, that they want to see leadership presence in their own community.”
Despite the province implementing its action plan since 2023, the NDP and multiple health-care unions have noted ongoing incidents of emergency rooms being overcapacity, hallway nursing and staff shortages.
WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING?
The SHA said $6.2 million will be redirected to patient-care priorities, with the intention of directly investing it across the health care system. This will include hiring more facilities staff, purchasing medical equipment and enhancing patient services.
The remaining $4.2 million is being reinvested in local clinical leadership, targeted at improving resource management and leadership in rural and northern communities. Placed directly in these communities, 27 new clinical manager positions will provide on-site leadership, with 20 enhanced clinical manager roles transitioning to part-time or near full-time roles, the province said.
The senior physician model will not have any new direct funding with the creation of six deputy chief medical officer positions.
HOW LONG BEFORE THE RESTRUCTURING IS IN PLACE?
Implementation is set to begin this summer, with full deployment targeted by the fall.