The Regina Qu’Appelle Regional Health Authority (RQRHA) is getting ready for the transition to a single provincial health authority (PHA).
On Wednesday night, the RQRHA board voted in favour of supporting recommendations in the Health Advisory Panel Report, which includes establishing one health authority.
RQRHA CEO Keith Dewar said this will help ensure a smooth transition for the region and they’re ready to work with health ministry officials.
READ MORE: From 12 to 1: Sask. Government will move to single Provincial Health Authority
This comes as Minister Jim Reiter previously announced plans to cut a number of top-level administration positions.
“I think we’ve all accepted that our jobs will change, or our jobs will disappear. We’ve talked a bit about this before. It doesn’t bother us either way,” Dewar said.
“As I’ve said before, administrators and leaders are people too. They have families, they have lives, and they situations they have to look after.”
Dewar said that he had the opportunity to look at a draft of the health authority transition plan, and is encouraged by what he saw.
“There’s a bit of uncertainty, but at the same time there’s a recognition that there’s some good opportunity with the recognition report. If implemented successfully, there’s a lot of good things that can come from that,” Dewar said.
Employee Compensation
While uncertainty exists among administration, frontline staff have their own questions.
On Monday, Finance Minister Kevin Doherty announced that all government employers are being asked to keep employee compensation at the same level in their upcoming budgets as it was in 2016/17.
READ MORE: Sask. government tells public sector employers to cap employee compensation
Dewar said he is glad that he doesn’t have a primary role in negotiating health-care contracts. Those talks will be led by the Saskatchewan Association of Healthcare Organizations.
However, RQHRA may still have a role to play in determining next year’s pay.
“We have the budget responsibility, so if they can’t get all the concessions they need at the table in terms of keeping the compensation for next year the same as this year, then I guess there will be some additional challenges placed on us to achieve that in other ways,” Dewar explained.
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