(June 7, 2006), Saskatoon – In need of hip or knee replacement surgery? Need to see a physician specialist? Require heart bypass surgery or its non-invasive alternative, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)? If you live in and around the Saskatoon Health Region, you have better access to these health care specialists and services than most Canadians, according to information contained in an annual review of the largest health regions in the country released Wednesday by Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Saskatoon Health Region ranks 3rd and 10th out of 59 health regions in the country, on a per capita basis, when it comes to performing knee and hip replacement surgery, respectively. The CIHI report, based on information from the 2004-05 fiscal year, indicates Saskatoon Health Region did 155.5 knee replacement procedures per 100,000 population and 91.5 hip replacement procedures per 100,000 population. Regarding heart bypass surgery and PCI rates, Saskatoon Health Region ranked 16th in each of the categories, performing 97.2 procedures per 100,000 population and 198.1 procedures, respectively.
The CIHI report indicates that Saskatoon Health Region has 133 specialist physicians per 100,000 population, well above the national average of 92, and which places it 7th highest in the country. Regarding the number of family physicians, Saskatoon Health Region has 101 per 100,000 population, slightly above the national average of 97.
"The fact that we are consistently meeting or exceeding national averages for most key performance indicators each time the annual CIHI report is released is a tribute to the work of our dedicated staff, physicians and managers," says Maura Davies, President and CEO, Saskatoon Health Region. "In those few categories that we ranked below the national average, we will assess the results and see what can be done to improve in those areas as we constantly strive to provide the best care possible within the financial and human resources available to us."
The CIHI report this year also did a detailed analysis of heart attack and stroke survival rates across the country. Saskatoon Health Region is similar to the national average for both of these indicators. Overall in Canada, about one in ten people admitted to hospital with a new heart attack (11.1 per cent) died in hospital within 30 days between 2002-2003 and 2004-05, ranging between 7.6 per cent and 16.3 per cent. In the Saskatoon Health Region, the rate was 10.9 per cent. Similarly, the overall in-hospital death rate within 30 days following admission with a new stroke was 19.1 per cent, with regional rates ranging from 14.7 per cent to 29.2 per cent. In the Saskatoon Health Region, the rate was 18.9 per cent.
Other results of the CIHI report indicating that Saskatoon Health Region was doing better than the national average was in providing greater access to four procedures provided to patients from outside the health region on a per capita basis than do other centres across the country (a reflection of the fact that on any given day approximately 34 per cent of patients in Saskatoon’s three tertiary care hospitals live outside the health region) and that the Saskatoon Health Region has fewer overnight hospital stays for conditions where adequate primary health care in the community can prevent hospitalization.
Lower rankings were in areas such as hospitalization rates due to injuries in the community and hysterectomy and prostatectomy readmissions.
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For more information contact:
Kerilyn Voigt
Corporate and Public Affairs Adviser
Saskatoon Health Region
306-655-3386
Note to Editors: After regular business hours and on weekends, please call 655-1000 and ask for the Public Affairs Adviser on call.
Saskatoon Health Region
"Healthiest people, healthiest communities, exceptional service."
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