The Ministry of Health recently released targeted funding to support emergency medical services in the region.
Kenneth Brown
of The Crossroads
One of the final developments for the former Heartland Health Region is the release of targeted funding to support emergency medical services (EMS) in the region.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) was proclaimed through legislation as of Dec. 4, so the Heartland Regional Health Authority is no more. However, EMS was a strategic priority for Heartland and funding for EMS improvements has been released.
A total of $500,000 in funding was approved for Heartland in the 2017-18 provincial budget. The funding was approved due to the work Heartland was doing in the area of EMS, a task that included a 3P improvement exercise in Kindersley.
Heartland operated its own ambulance fleet, a rarity among regional health authorities in Saskatchewan. Ambulance services in several other parts of the province are private services. Heartland also worked with private ambulance services in the region.
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Gayle Riendeau, who was the acting CEO for Heartland before the SHA launch, said the transition away from regional health authorities will not impact the targeted funding. She said the funding release was good news arising from Heartland’s final board meeting on Nov. 22 in Rosetown.
The $500,000 was budgeted for this fiscal year, but the funding was frozen until November. Riendeau, whose title is now executive transition lead, health services, said the authority submitted plans to the ministry in 2017 for use of funding.
She noted that Heartland received word the day of the board meeting that $125,000 of the frozen funding was being released to use for EMS staffing improvements, so the funding is being used to increase staffing.
According to Riendeau, the timing in the current fiscal year played a role in the ministry’s decision to only release $125,000. She said the remaining $375,000 will be released in the 2018-19 fiscal year starting in April. The $375,000 will also be used to fund the EMS staffing increase.
“It’s been one of Heartland’s regional priorities, and something our board took a keen interest in,” Riendeau said, referring to the focus on EMS improvement. “It was nice that at the final board meeting we could see some further progress being made to that end.”
The $125,000 for the 2017-18 fiscal year is being used to create new EMS staffing positions, and the $375,000 will be used to cover the cost of those same staffing positions during the entire 2018-19 fiscal year. Therefore, the staffing will be maintained for at least one more year.
Several job postings have been issued in communities across the region and the EMS staffing increases will go a long way to helping the SHA stabilize emergency medical services in the region, Riendeau added. Health officials will continue to work on the former health region’s EMS stabilization plan.
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