The Saskatchewan Health Authority is adding 77 new and enhanced permanent full-time health care positions across 30 rural and remote communities, aiming to improve emergency and acute care services and reduce service disruptions.
The positions include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical radiation technologists, and other clinical roles. The roles will either create new permanent positions or convert longstanding part-time vacancies to full-time, supporting recruitment and retention while reducing reliance on contract staff.
The positions will be funded through $6.2 million in annual savings from the SHA’s recent restructuring of senior administrative positions. The restructuring, announced in June, resulted in $10.4 million in annual savings, with part of the savings directed toward strengthening on-site healthcare leadership across the province.
Communities near Yorkton set to benefit include Canora, Kamsack, Melville, Kipling, Broadview, Moosomin, Porcupine Plain, Redvers and Wadena. Other communities receiving positions include Arcola, Assiniboia, Estevan, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Kerrobert, Kindersley, La Ronge, Leader, Lloydminster, Maple Creek, Moose Jaw, Nipawin, North Battleford, Outlook, Prince Albert, Rosetown, Shaunavon, Shellbrook, Unity and Weyburn.
The new positions are part of the ongoing Health Human Resources Action Plan launched in 2022 to address health workforce needs across the province. The SHA says these additions build on past efforts, which have added more than 300 positions since 2022 and helped reduce service disruptions in rural and remote areas by 28 per cent.
Many of the positions will be eligible for the Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive, which offers up to $50,000 over three years to healthcare professionals who commit to serving in rural and remote communities.
The SHA says it will continue to monitor and identify communities with ongoing staffing challenges to ensure consistent and reliable care across Saskatchewan.
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