(December 2, 2011 - Saskatoon) — Jodi Spence is very familiar with Saskatoon’s health bus. The 32-year old daycare worker and mother of four young children understands how quickly the need for medical advice and assistance can arise. “I really trust the staff on the health bus,” says Spence. “They are always calm, friendly, they don’t rush you like some clinics and are very thorough when dealing with a young child.”
 The Region’s first health bus, a retrofitted 1993 RV, has developed its own health issues with frequent mechanical challenges and concerns about whether it can meet its schedule each day. But community fundraising organization Synergy 8 Community Builders and PotashCorp presented a cure.
“Synergy 8 Community Builders partners with a foundation each year to help purchase a piece of equipment that will immediately improve the health care of children,” says Troy Davies Synergy 8 Board Member. “Our group was approached with the idea of purchasing a new health bus. Once we found out that the bus treats close to 1,000 children a year, we decided to try to make this happen. PotashCorp was a key player in achieving this success by coming on as a matching sponsor. We also want to thank St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation for their partnership on this campaign.”
Synergy 8 Community Builders raised a total of $360,000 including PotashCorp's matching sponsorship of $180,000. The Ministry of Health and Saskatoon Health Region contributed $100,000 towards the purchase of the new bus.
“We care about quality of life in our home communities,” explains Wayne Brownlee, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at PotashCorp. “When we learned about the success and benefits of the health bus program, and its grassroots connection to children and families, we wanted to get involved and help build momentum behind the campaign.”
 “We knew when we began the health bus pilot project in August 2008, there was a need for a mobile clinic in the inner city,” says Maura Davies President and CEO Saskatoon Health Region. “But the response to the bus has been extremely positive and the new bus will allow us to provide even better care to those who need it.”
“We are pleased to have contributed towards the cost of the new health bus and to provide ongoing funding to support this unique model of health care delivery,” Health Minister Don McMorris said. “Bringing health services closer to those who need them is an innovative way to increase access to care, which is a priority for our Government”.
Since the introduction of the health bus, an average of 5,000 clients a year have accessed its services, with 43 per cent of those making repeat visits. Fifty per cent of its clients are aboriginal, an increase of seven per cent in the past year. The number of children coming to the bus has gone up 30 per cent in the same period. The new bus will be retrofitted next week and begins work on Monday, December 12, 2011 at noon at 19th Street and Avenue C.
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Related Information:
For more information contact:
Linda Walker
Media Relations Consultant
Saskatoon Health Region
(306)
655-3476
|
Rhonda Speiss
Manager of Corporate Philanthropy
PotashCorp
(306) 933-9544 |
Saskatoon Health Region
Healthiest people ~ Healthiest communities ~ Exceptional service
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