By Angela Hill

Health organization celebrates milestone

Oct 20, 2010 | 12:28 PM

Northern Medical Services is celebrating their 25th Anniversary.

During the past 25 years the organization which provides health services, such as doctors and nurses on contracts to the northern health regions, has expanded.

“What we have currently which is the equivalent of 30 physician positions across the north and two MHO positions,” said Dr. Peter Butt, the outgoing medical director who has been involved with NMS for more than two decades.

He says the changes have been dramatic.

When the organization started they had six doctors in Ile-a-la-Crosse, three in Uranium City and one Medical Health Officer overseeing the work.

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“We’ve expanded into La Ronge and La Loche, there’s further growth in the Athabasca and there’s a contract that covers off services to Pelican Lake, Deschambault Lake and Sandy Bay,” he said.

This year is for celebrating that growth and their successes. Many of the staff have been around since the inception of the organization, said Butt.

There will be events in communities around the north and in Saskatoon, where the organization is based, to celebrate the staff and the people they serve.

“I think that what Northern Medical Services has attempted to provide is greater provision of services and better quality as a result,” Butt said.

Even with all of the improvements, it’s not always easy for NMS. They, like many health organizations, struggle with physician recruitment. Butt said they have concerns about the new physician recruitment process increasing the time it takes to recruit them.

ahill@rawlco.com