New and enhanced health care positions announced

- Media Release, SK Gov’t

July 23, 2025

key points from this story:

• 77 full-time roles added for rural Saskatchewan
• Positions funded by SHA administrative savings
• Aims to reduce service disruptions province-wide
• Range of clinical roles included (RNs, LPNs, techs)
• Eligible for Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive
• 28% service disruption reduction in recent months

The Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) are adding 77 new and enhanced permanent full-time positions to benefit 30 rural and remote communities. These health care positions will improve emergency and acute care services, reduce service disruptions and continue building a more stable health workforce across Saskatchewan. These enhancements build on the success of previous rural and remote staffing stabilization efforts that, since 2022, have added 315 new and enhanced positions as part of the provincial Health Human Resources Action Plan. The additional 77 positions will focus on communities that continue to experience service disruptions or have faced ongoing staffing challenges.

"Adding Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Radiation Technologists and other positions that deliver hands-on patient care reflect the shared commitment of the Government of Saskatchewan and SHA to ensure Saskatchewan residents have seamless access to care, as close to home as possible," Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said. "The SHA has closely scrutinized their costs and identified savings that will help fund these essential positions and provide positive care to patients in communities stretching across the province." The positions will be funded through $6.2 million in annual savings resulting from the SHA's recent restructuring of out-of-scope administrative leadership. The SHA's administrative leadership restructuring effort achieved $10.4 million in total annual efficiencies by reducing 26 senior out-of-scope leadership positions, along with additional reductions in corporate, management and support roles. The SHA has already directed $4.2 million of these savings toward the creation of 27 new and 20 enhanced Clinical Manager positions in 45 rural and northern communities, strengthening on-site leadership and improving local oversight of care delivery.

"This investment reflects our ongoing focus on strengthening care at the local level by placing permanent health care professionals in communities where they are needed most," Saskatchewan Health Authority COO Derek Miller said. "By stabilizing staffing and reducing service disruptions, we are helping ensure residents receive reliable access to high-quality care." The 77 positions include a range of clinical roles such as Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Combined Lab and X-ray Technicians (CLXTs), Medical Radiation Technologists (MRTs), and Phlebotomists. These roles will either create new permanent full-time positions or convert longstanding part-time vacancies into permanent full-time roles. This will support improved recruitment and retention of positions, reduce reliance on contract staff and promote more consistent emergency department coverage.

Past stabilization efforts have demonstrated measurable progress in reducing service disruptions in rural and remote areas. "This is the latest progressive step forward in our plans to strengthen rural and northern health care teams that are making a real difference to the people of Saskatchewan," Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr said. "Efforts include the Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive, adding several hundred new and enhanced positions in over 70 communities, implementing the Virtual Physician program, and expansion of Point-of-Care Lab Testing. Thanks to these initiatives, rural and remote communities saw a 28 per cent reduction in service disruption days. In the past 16 months, Virtual Physician coverage and Point-of-Care Lab Testing helped prevent more than 2,700 service disruptions."

Many of the new positions will be eligible to apply for the Saskatchewan Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI), which provides up to $50,000 over three years with a return in service agreement. Since its launch in 2022, the RRRI has supported the hiring of more than 400 health professionals in approximately 70 communities, resulting in reduced vacancies, improved staffing levels and greater service stability across the province. Positions will be introduced in the following communities: Arcola, Assiniboia, Broadview, Canora, Estevan, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Kamsack, Kerrobert, Kindersley, Kipling, La Ronge, Leader, Lloydminster, Maple Creek, Melville, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Nipawin, North Battleford, Outlook, Porcupine Plain, Prince Albert, Redvers, Rosetown, Shaunavon, Shellbrook, Unity, Wadena and Weyburn.

These new positions are part of the ongoing implementation of the provincial Health Human Resources Action Plan, launched in 2022 to recruit, train, incentivize and retain Saskatchewan's health workforce. The Government of Saskatchewan and the SHA remain committed to working together to enhance the delivery of health services in rural and remote communities.