By Spencer Sterritt

Local health regions respond to amalgamation

Jan 6, 2017 | 5:28 AM

The news Saskatchewan would move to one health region towards the end of this year was a surprise for everyone, even health care officials.

Both Cecile Hunt, CEO of the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region (PAPHR), and Teresa Watt, acting CEO of the Mamawetan Churchill River Health Region (MCRHC), said they learned their health regions would be no more the same time as everyone else. A three-member panel unveiled its recommendations Jan. 4.

Prince Albert’s health region is taking a “wait and see” approach to amalgamation.

Hunt said it’s too early to know which specific positions will be impacted in the name of increased efficiency, including her own CEO position, or how the financial situations of the various regions will be handled by one large body.

“There’s a lot of unknown at this time,” she said. “As we work through the transition we need to focus on those we serve.”

Missing pet

'She means the world to our family': Woman seeks help in finding missing pet parrot

18h ago

BE CAREFUL ON THE ROADS

Semi flips outside P.A.; one of dozens of incidents on Sask. roads due to winter weather

18h ago

NO GO FOR BUSES

School bus routes outside P.A. canceled due to spring snowstorm

23h ago

Hunt said she’s confident the amalgamation process will remain on-track for completion and work will likely start immediately. She felt the changes will possibly unveil areas in need of improvement.

“I think with these changes there will also be opportunities that we may not have recognized when we were 12 health authorities,” she said.

Watt said it will be business as usual within the Mamawetan health region.

“We still have clients, residents and patients who need to provide services too and we need to continue doing that, while at the same time working with the transition team to implement this new model,” she said.

She added it was a relief to see the health care challenges of northern Saskatchewan referenced in the recommendations, such as the ongoing mental health crisis and significant addictions issues.

However, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) doesn’t take a similar stance.

In a press release, FSIN vice-chief Robert Merasty said instead of closing gaps between First Nations and non-First Nations health care assistance for the better, amalgamation will “lower the standard of care for everyone else.”

Merasty argued for the creation of an Indigenous led health care system, separate from the provincial system.

paNOW reached out to vice-chief Merasty before the release, but did not receive a reply by deadline.

Saskatchewan NDP have also raised their concerns about the changing face of health care in the province. NDP health critic Danielle Chartier said amalgamation is an opportunity for the SaskParty to continue cutting health care to save their 2017 budget.

“The bottom line is, if this minister and this government was really interested in improving front line services they wouldn’t be wasting everybody’s time with expensive restructuring that creates chaos across the system,” she said.

Chartier echoed FSIN concerns about health issues in the North and for First Nation populations.

“Right now, I know people in the North already feel like decisions are happening farther and farther away from them and this decision to move to one region will make their local voices even less pronounced,” she said.

The province said amalgamation will consolidate administration but not health care services for better patient care.

ssterritt@panow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterritt