SASKATOON – Saskatchewan Health Authority has announced it is renewing and expanding its partnership with a private provider Surgical Centres Inc. in efforts to keep bringing down surgical wait times.
SHA says in a news release that through this agreement, Surgical Centres Inc. will continue providing day surgical procedures such as general surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, plastics and reconstructive surgery, ENT, pediatric dental/oral maxillofacial, urology, and vascular surgery. The scope of surgery has now expanded to include gynecology.
The SHA says this agreement was renewed through a transparent and competitive process, and is being touted as reducing waitlists, optimizing surgical capacity, and freeing up hospital operating rooms for more complex procedures.
The province is also touting its partnership with Surgical Centres as helping achieve record amounts of surgeries volumes, with the province seeing over 95,700 surgeries overall in 2023-24 and over 100,400 surgeries in 2024-25.
This year Surgical Centres Inc. completed over 16,700 publicly funded surgeries.
They have performed over 181,000 procedures in partnership with SHA since 2012. They currently operate Prairieview Surgical Centre in Saskatoon and the Regina Surgical Centre.
With the increase in surgeries, SHA now says they are targeting 450,000 surgeries getting done by the end of 2028.
“Continuing the successful partnership we’ve established with Surgical Centres Inc. is a win for Saskatchewan patients,” said Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill in a statement.
“The publicly-funded, private surgical facilities operated by Surgical Centres Inc. perform thousands of routine day surgeries each year, freeing up high-demand hospital OR spaces for more complex procedures. We appreciate the staff, surgeons, anesthetists, nursing and support staff for their dedication and ability to work with our health system to improve quality of life for patients.”
“Each surgery represents a life-changing – and at times, life-saving – moment in someone’s life,” said Andrew Will, CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority, in a statement.
“That’s why Saskatchewan Health Authority is committed to advancing surgical services for the people of Saskatchewan by delivering timely, patient-centred care. By working together with partners like Surgical Centres Inc., we’re ensuring that more patients can access the procedures they need, when they need them, as close to home as possible.”
“Since 2012, Surgical Centres Inc. has been providing publicly-funded surgical access and delivering high-quality, patient-centred care and as our partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority has grown, Surgical Centres Inc. has added capacity and is helping respond to provincial waitlists,” said Fatima Fazal, Regional Director of Operations and Innovation, Surgical Centres Inc., in a statement.
“Our clinical teams remain focused on delivering safe, consistent, and compassionate care, ensuring patients receive the surgical care they need. Together, we remain committed to ensuring Saskatchewan residents receive the publicly funded surgical care they need, when they need it.”
