April 23, 2012

Prairie North Health Region is receiving $2,718,051 from the Saskatchewan government to continue to improve patients' access to surgical care.

The funding will enable the health region to fund additional staffing positions in the operating rooms and Outpatient-Day Surgery and provides for the purchase of a sterilizer in Central Supply and Redistribution (CSR). It also will provide for the relocation of the intensive care unit (ICU) to the 3^rd floor of Battlefords Union Hospital to allow for the move of endoscopy from the operating room. Additional money will also assist Home Care and Therapies provide post-op care and therapy.

“The surgical staff and physicians in Prairie North are happy to have exceeded the day surgery target set by the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative in 2011-12 and look forward to helping the province meet its ambitious surgical goals in the upcoming year,” said Barbara Jiricka, Vice-President of Integrated Health Services for Prairie North Health Region. “Reducing surgical wait times is an important part of providing patient-first care.”

The investment is part of $60.5 million in additional funding for the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative, announced in the March 21^st provincial budget. The funding will help health regions collectively complete an additional 4,380 surgeries in 2012-13 and support innovations that improve surgical care.

Prairie North Health Region is currently exceeding the Surgical Initiative's Year 2 target of having no patients wait more than 12 months for surgery. By 2013, the province's goal is to provide all patients with the option of having surgery within six months and by 2014 providing the option of having surgery within three months.

“Sooner, safer, smarter surgical care is a high priority for our government,” Battlefords MLA Herb Cox said on behalf of Health Minister Don McMorris. “Prairie North Health Region is a key partner in providing exceptional services to patients, and helping achieve our ambitious wait time goals.”

The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative began in April 2010. Since then, wait times have dropped dramatically. The number of patients waiting over 18 months for surgery has dropped 85 per cent, the number waiting 12 months for surgery has decreased 74 per cent, and the number waiting over six months has dropped 53 per cent. The number of people waiting more than three months is down 39 per cent.

More information is available at: www.health.gov.sk.ca/surgical-initiative

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For more information, contact: Kerilyn Voigt PNHR Communications Officer Phone: (306) 446-6002 kerilyn.voigt@pnrha.ca

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