When the Sun Country Health Region's board of directors met in Estevan for their February session, the open business portion of the agenda was completed without fanfare or controversy. The board usually holds their monthly business session at their head office in Weyburn.
The directors listened to the CEO's report presented by interim president/CEO Marga Cugnet and received a quick update on current health-care facility construction projects in Radville and Redvers from Pam Haupstein, interim financial vice-president.
The directors gave approval to three separate requests from Mainprize Manor in Midale to take on projects that amounted to just over $78,000 with the money coming from the Manor's trust account.
A motion by Marilyn Charlton to combine the governance and human resources committees was given swift approval once she explained how the two bodies already interact in their current state.
Chairwoman Sharon Bauche provided a report on a strategy development session she attended in Regina regarding Level I care and further discussions that were held regarding the province-wide purchasing policy for health-care materials.
It was also announced that the health region has formed a search committee to begin the exercise of seeking applicants to permanently fill the role of chief executive officer, a task that Cugnet has been performing for over a year following the dismissal of former CEO Calvin Tant.
During her report, Cugnet made reference to some data collected regarding the overall health markers for residents in the Sun Country Health Region especially those referring to child obesity. It was noted that the latest Canadian survey indicated that the prevalence of obesity in children aged two to five was 6.3 per cent and it was at 8.6 per cent for those aged six to 17.
In Sun Country the base-line numbers were low, as just 58 children were involved in the survey, most of them being four years of age or younger. It was noted that there are 716 children aged four or under in the local health region, another 703 who are five-years-old and 636 who are six.
As a result of the lower base-line for testing, only the four-year-old group results were published and the early results showed that the risk of the child being overweight was 13.8 per cent for males and 16 per cent for females. Three of the 53 four-year-olds tested were classified as overweight with one male child listed as already being obese.
Cugnet reported that there are 11 physicians at various stages of the recruitment process in Estevan, two in the Arcola area and three (including one psychiatrist) for Weyburn. There had also been nine nursing student placements in the region from early January to mid-February with four of them placed in Estevan and two each in Weyburn and Carlyle.
A pre-health professional club session is slated for Estevan on April 2 with a focus on Grade 11 students. It is expected that the event will attract between 50 and 60 students from the region.
Two medical students will be participating in a first-year medical community experience in Weyburn this summer and one medical student will be involved in the physician rural externship program in Estevan, with the date to be determined.
Cugnet also noted that 40 bursaries had been awarded to students involved in professional medical care programs with 33 registered in nursing, two in physical therapy, one as a paramedic, another in laboratory technology, and three medical students. It was noted that 54 bursaries had been awarded last year. Five bursaries in the amount of $7,000 each were awarded to nursing students who have committed to a return of service in a rural facility in Sun Country following their graduation.
The interim CEO also provided updated information on current wait lists and times for elective counselling and therapy services for mental health and addiction patients.
The directors also learned that the Midale Trust Board had again approved funding in the amount of $25,000 for the year for an ambulance replacement program. This is all part of a total five-year $125,000 commitment.
