In some respects, the Sun Country Health Region (SCHR) must feel like they are entrapped in the old adage of taking three steps forward and then two steps back and then two steps forward and three steps back.
The region reported this past week that in January they had hired five people in difficult to fill positions, but then had to accept the departure of seven.
The board learned that SCHR had hired four registered nurses and one public health inspector within the past month but in the same period, accepted the resignations of three RNs, one licensed practical nurse, one laboratory and X-ray technician and one out-of-scope person.
In spite of the setbacks, the region forged ahead with a number of programs including the Releasing Time to Care project that currently includes the third floor at the Weyburn General Hospital, Ward A at St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan and the in-patient mental health unit at Tatagwa View. Three more will be added this spring, said interim chief executive officer Marga Cugnet. Those will include the emergency room and the obstetrics department at St. Joe's plus the Arcola Health Centre.
In an attempt to continue a strong recruitment and retention program, the board was made aware of the fact that 54 student bursaries have been awarded by Sun Country up to Feb. 18. Forty-four of those bursaries have gone to registered nursing students; one registered psychiatric nurse in training, plus three for licensed practical nurses. Other bursaries have been awarded to one physical therapy student, one pharmacy student, one paramedic student and one medical laboratory technology student.
The region also reported they had reduced overtime hours paid to staff by almost 22 per cent during the first three quarters of the 2010-11 fiscal year, which was well above the provincial goal and they had also reduced the number of Worker Compensation claims by about 25 per cent in that same time frame while the provincial target was five per cent. However, they also reported the number of WCB time-lost claims per 100 full-time equivalent employees increased by almost nine per cent while the provincial goal was for a 10 per cent reduction.
The goal of reducing the number of sick leave hours paid by five per cent was not met, but there was a reduction of three per cent.
SCHR is also moving along with the implementation of the surgical checklist to further reduce potential mishaps and to provide more efficiencies before, during and after surgical procedures as outlined in an earlier story that appeared in The Mercury.
A pre-health professional club is slated for a kick-off effort at the Weyburn Comprehensive School on March 12. The Pre-Health Professionals Club is a program that engages post-secondary institutions with school divisions, Aboriginal organizations and regional health authorities to provide career development experiences for secondary level students. A number of SCHR professionals will be making presentations at this session to encourage students to enter the health-care disciplines.
