The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Saskatchewan government is looking at a health care concept that could strengthen patient care in rural parts of the province. The province announced last week it is exploring the implementation of Collaborative Emergency Centres (CECs) as an innovative approach to provide emergency and primary health care. CECs are designed to bolster access to quality, comprehensive primary care capable of dealing with unexpected illness or injury in a timely fashion. Open around the clock, CECs are staffed by a primary health care team during the day and a team that includes a nurse and a paramedic, with physician oversight through the emergency health system, during the night. Nova Scotia has been implementing this model in communities where maintaining 24-7 emergency service is difficult. Proven benefits of the CEC model include improved access, shorter wait lists, same-day appointments, fewer visits to emergency rooms and increased patient satisfaction. Randy Weekes, Saskatchewan's minister responsible for rural and remote health, last week toured CECs in Nova Scotia to gain a first-hand perspective on their operations and applicability in Saskatchewan. 'I am very excited to learn about the potential the Collaborative Emergency Centre model holds for Saskatchewan as a way to address the challenges of health care delivery in rural and remote communities,' Weekes said. 'Interest in this model of care has been steadily growing over the past months, and we are optimistic the CECs could benefit Saskatchewan residents.' Delegates from Nova Scotia will be in Saskatchewan this fall to present to a broad audience, including health care and municipal stakeholders, and share their experience with this approach to health care. _ Compiled from a Government of Saskatchewan news release
