Cypress Health Region 2

The Cypress Health Region is responding to claims by the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS) that rural ambulance services in the province are critically understaffed.

HSAS, the union that represents 3000 healthcare professionals in Saskatchewan, called for an independent review into how health regions are handing rural EMS services, saying that Cypress Health had been managing rural ambulance services with just half of the staff that they had a decade ago.

"We've invested in our EMS services in the last four to five years," said Gloria Illerbrun, Executive Director of Health Services for the Cypress Health Region. "We've invested over four full-time equivalents amongst our five services, so we have made investments, and I believe there's more actual funded positions than there were ten years ago. Ten years ago, we relied more on casual staff, and we still do, but more ten years ago."

Illerbrun says much like the rest of the province, staffing is a problem for them, but they have had some luck with recruitment.

"One of the problems is that we don't have a lot of full-time work, and of course, people are looking for full-time work and an opportunity to utilize their skills when they get out of school," she said. "Having said that, we have had luck recruiting several people recently from other provinces and bringing them in, and there's lots of work when they get there.

"We have good partnerships with our communities and our municipal partners in terms of that we have some great equipment out here and some new ambulances, and all of those things add to a good work life," Illerbrun said. "Having said that, the amount of hours worked can sometimes be stressful, and that's what we're trying to work through, and find better ways to do that."

She says despite any staffing issues, the Cypress Health Region has worked to ensure they provide adequate rural EMS service at all times.

"We've always have ensured that we have coverage to the geographic area, and that does sometimes mean moving our units around," she added. "If a unit for one community has to leave to take a transfer to Swift Current or Regina, for example, we have to move cars around to ensure that we still have adequate coverage to the geographic area."

HSAS called for the provincial auditor to review the performance of health regions in respect to ambulance services, and also requested that health regions explain what they need to do if there is an emergency, and EMS services are not available.

"A good example of that is our hospital diversion policy, so if the hospital has to close because of a lack of staff we have a very standard protocol that we go through in informing communities and municipal partners, but we haven't had to do that with the ambulance, because we haven't been in that situation," Illerbrun said.