Respiratory therapists evaluate, treat, and maintain patients' lung and heart function. (Submitted photo/Government of Saskatchwan)

By Alison Sandstrom

Improved services

New funding for more respiratory therapists at Vic Hospital

May 14, 2021 | 3:45 PM

Additional respiratory therapists have been hired at the Victoria Hospital, nearly doubling the number of the specialized health care workers at the facility to around eight.

Carol Gregoryk, SHA Executive Director of Acute Care for the Northeast, told paNOW the new respiratory therapists were hired in September on a temporary basis, but money in the latest provincial budget has made the increase permanent.

Respiratory therapists will now be available 24/7 at the Victoria Hospital. Previously, overnight coverage was provided on an on-call basis, Gregoryk explained.

“Our respiratory therapists do far more than just take care of ICU patients,” she said, explaining the specialized healthcare professionals provide care in the hospital’s nursery, pediatric and emergency, and surgical units.

“They’re spread fairly thin with the work that they do have to do,” Gregoryk said. “So this is a huge help for us and for them to be able to have coverage 24/7.”

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Care for COVID-19 patients

While the positions are permanent, in the short-term the additional respiratory therapists will continue to assist with patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

The pandemic has highlighted the indispensability of all healthcare workers. But the important role respiratory therapists play has become especially prominent as an increased number of people in hospital require assistance breathing.

Earlier this year, a respiratory therapist at the Victoria Hospital said the facility had never seen so many ventilated patients at once.

“With COVID, respiratory issues are massive,” said Gregoryk.

The new funding for respiratory therapy is part of a $334,000 provincial budget announcement for increased services at the Victoria Hospital.

“The people of Prince Albert and Northern Saskatchewan rely on the important health care services of Victoria Hospital,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said in a media release. “Our government is pleased to invest in the expansion of respiratory services, which also supports the operational plan for the larger Victoria Hospital redevelopment project.”

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom