'Medical leadership crisis' identified by review into Regina hospital physician culture

A review into workplace culture for doctors at Regina's hospitals has identified some of the ways it doesn't support work-life satisfaction, patient care or recruitment efforts.

The report, released Monday, revealed high levels of distrust between the Saskatchewan Health Authority and doctors, and an inability for positive changes to be made to address "numerous examples" of unprofessional conduct among physicians.  

"The themes that the reviewers mentioned in their recommendations are not new to us. We have heard them from our members," said Dr. Pamela Arnold, the president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association. 

"We've heard these concerns before and we're committed to working to make them better," said Arnold. 

The medical association will be working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to try and change the existing culture and rebuild trust with the SHA. 

"It's about building that relationship from the ground," said Dr. Jordan Wingate, interim chief medical officer for the SHA. He said that somewhere along the line, the relationship "dropped."

Wingate acknowledged that there is a lot of work to do going forward and "it will be a challenge." 

"It would have been great if it was a glowing report, but it was not," said Wingate. "We have to accept that and we have to own that."   

The report, which was commissioned by the Minister of Health, makes 14 recommendations to improve the working environment. These are targeted at the Ministry of Health, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Saskatchewan Medical Association and the University of Saskatchewan's college of medicine.

One of the themes running through the review is the effects of the formation of the Saskatchewan Health Authority in 2017, which brought the regional health authorities into a single governance model.

The review also identifies physician disengagement and a "medical leadership crisis" in the Regina area as contributing to a problematic culture.

Out-of-province doctors brought in for review

Dr. Nancy Merrow, from Ontario, and Dr. Douglas Sinclair, from Nova Scotia, conducted the review, which was launched in December 2024 amid complaints of misconduct, conflict and racism.

At that time, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said issues within the physician community and culture in Regina have been longstanding.

Back in November 2023, a group of 11 internal medicine specialists at Regina General Hospital filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission alleging management gave sought-after teaching shifts exclusively to white doctors.

Their lawyer said they had made their concerns known to the minister of health in May 2023 and to the Saskatchewan Health Authority in June.

The report authors noted they "were not tasked to comment" on prior reviews and investigations, "including any legal proceedings and filings with the Human Rights Commission."