A Health Foundation that Thinks Outside the Box

One of the biggest concerns in rural health care, if not THE biggest, is recruitment and retention of health care workers.  We can have all of the state of the art equipment possible, but if we don’t have the people to work that equipment, it doesn’t do much good.  The Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan knows exactly that.  They teamed up with the Suncrest College last year to bring in the Sonography program at the college, so that our students can train, live, and work right here in our area.

And now, it was just announced that the Health Foundation has been given the go ahead by the Ministry of Education to build a 90 space childcare center that will specifically accommodate the work schedule of health care workers.   It will be open 13 hours a day, is set to be built this spring, and be open for the fall.  This is HUGE!  As a mother, and member on a Child Care Centre Board in Yorkton, I know first hand how hard it is for parents to get a spot at a daycare.

A lot of people though, are confused who Ross Fisher and the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan work for.

In a nutshell, the Health Foundation doesn’t work for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, doesn’t work for the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, and doesn’t work for the Saskatchewan Government.  The Health Foundation answers to the donors, and that means you!

This year, the funds raised from the GX94 Airwaves for Health Radiothon is going to the chemotherapy program and the Yorkton Regional Health Centre.  Chemotherapy will be moving from the 3rd floor to the 1st, allowing for expansion and growth.  They will now be able to grow the infusion therapy program.  Increasing the space will help get rid of the waiting list.  In the last 3 years there has been a 10% growth in the number of cancer patients, but this expansion will enable the hospital to add 60 more treatments a month.

The Yorkton Regional Health Centre will be handling the most cancer patients for Saskatchewan outside of Regina and Saskatoon.  We have all been touched by cancer in one way or another.  My aunt passed away from breast cancer, my mother-in-law luckily survived breast cancer.  I made my donation to the Airwaves for Health Radiothon, because if cancer hits even closer to home in the next few years, I want to make sure I have done my part to ensure we have all of the resources in Yorkton!

Thank you for making your donation.  You can call 1-800-636-3243, or donate online at the Health Foundation website.