SHA to spend $6.2M on 77 new health-care positions across rural and remote Sask. communities

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the provincial government have announced 77 new and enhanced permanent full-time health-care positions across 30 rural and remote communities in the province.

New positions include a wide range of clinical roles such as licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, combined lab and x-ray technicians, medical radiation technologists and phlebotomists, SHA said in a news release Wednesday.

They will be added to communities including Kindersley, Kipling, La Ronge, Leader, Maple Creek, Melville, Moose Jaw, Nipawin, North Battleford, Outlook, Porcupine Plain, Prince Albert, Redvers, Rosetown, Shaunavon, Shellbrook, Unity, Wadena and Weyburn, the release said.

SHA said some of the jobs are new permanent full-time positions, while others are part-time positions being converted to permanent full-time. It said the move will reduce reliance on contract staff and allow for more consistent coverage of emergency departments. 

In total, $6.2 million will be put toward the positions. The money comes from recent changes to SHA's out-of-scope administrative leadership that reduced 26 senior positions and other corporate, management and support roles, according to the release.

Some of these new positions will be eligible for the Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI), which provides up to $50,000 over three years, SHA said.

The announcement stems from the province's Health Human Resources Action Plan, launched in 2022 to recruit, train, incentivize and retain-health care workers in Saskatchewan, SHA said.

SHA said it has already put $4.2 million toward the creation of 27 new and 20 enhanced clinical manager positions across 45 rural and northern communities.