(SASKATOON) January 18, 2006 – Saskatoon Regional Health Authority has approved a balanced annual operating budget of $617 million for the 2005-06 fiscal year, an increase of almost $35 million or 6% from the previous year. This amount is equivalent to the spending of $1.7 million a day in meeting the health needs of the community. Also at its meeting on Wednesday, the Authority doubled its medical equipment and capital budget to $29 million from $15 million the previous year.
This year’s additional operating money will be used to pay for increasing costs associated with collective bargaining agreements and medical remuneration ($20 million); medical, surgical, lab supplies and drugs, food and utility increases ($8 million); and enhancements to health services – such as surgery, diagnostic imaging, mental health, public health and chronic disease management – and quality and safety initiatives ($6 million). No reduction in jobs is anticipated because of this budget.
"The provincial government is to be commended for its ongoing commitment and its increasing investment in health and health care in our region,” says Darlene Eberle, Chair, Saskatoon Regional Health Authority. “The Authority would also like to thank our senior leadership team and others throughout the organization who helped put together a budget that meets our financial accountabilities while balancing them with various rising costs and increasing service demands."
Overall, 64% (almost $395 million) of the budget finances acute care/hospital services. Anoth
er 19.2% ($119 million) is spent on long term care services, 9.6% ($59.5 million) for home care, public health and other community-based services, 5.3% ($32.4 million) on program support, and 1.9% ($11.5 million) on ancillary and special funded programs.
The Health Region, with 11,500 people on its payroll, spends $466 million (75.5%) of its budget on salaries and benefits. Approximately 96% of staff are unionized and remaining 4% are manager or non-unionized support staff.
"This budget will support our dedicated staff and the 750-plus physicians working on our communities in providing quality health services and in meeting the vision, mission, goals of the Health Region and the provincial government," says Eberle.
The 05-06 budget commits the Health Region to provide specific service volumes to meet waiting time targets for surgery and specific diagnostic tests.
The Health Region’s $29 million medical equipment and capital budget is derived from money contributed by SaskHealth ($12.1 million), hospital foundations ($9.3 million), and Federal Health Accord ($7.2 million).
Major projects include the nephrology centre of excellence at St. Paul’s Hospital, Centre of Care (breast health) at Saskatoon City Hospital, emergency and critical care renovations at Royal University Hospital, West Winds Primary Health Care Centre, CT scanner replacement, cardiac cath lab, digital chest x-ray units, surgery and endoscopy equipment, beds and stretchers, IT infrastructure and program support, and Oliver Lodge, Mental Health Services and Humboldt health services redevelopment project.
Saskatoon Health Region is an integrated health system, responsible for services ranging from hospital and long term care to public health and home care services. Services and programs are provided to almost 300,000 residents of the region and thousands of others who come to Saskatoon each year for specialized care. Services and programs are provided in more than 70 facilities, clinics, community-based locations and people’s homes in more than 100 cities, towns, villages, rural municipalities and First Nations throughout the Health Region. The region is also an academic health sciences centre, providing learning opportunities to approximately 1000 health sciences students and participates in research that will build knowledge and improve care.
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For more information, call:
Leanne Nyirfa
Corporate and Public Affairs Adviser
306.655.3386
Saskatoon Health Region
"Healthiest people, healthiest communities, exceptional service."
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