New health-needs study pending

tion date.

The assessment will cover health system planning within a 150-kilometre radius of Lloydminster.

The decision to update the 2013 needs assessment was made during a Bi-Provincial Health Services Committee meeting this spring, according to a handout document.

explain how the capital project process works to provide for the capital needs of the Lloydminster Hospital and the much-needed replacement of the aging Jubilee Home, with the assessment pending.

“All of that is part of the process, but the first and most important step, and probably the most exciting step, is that needs assessment.”

Lloydminster and area residents may have to wait until a new health services needs assessment is complete before seeing more improvements or capital investments.

Everything from upgrading the intensive care unit and creating mental health stabilization beds at the Lloydminster Hospital to adding more continuingcare spaces is in limbo.

That was the main message from bi-provincial health officials during a well-attended community question and answer meeting at the Civic Centre auditorium last Thursday.

Event organizer and chair of Lloydminster and District Health Advisory Council, Paul Richer, was hoping for more.

“Maybe there’ll be some new revelations, especially in the question and answer period,” he said before the meeting got underway.

In a report to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster on Monday,

Richer said the important thing is high-ranking officials from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) were here.

“For them to come down here, I was impressed and I think a lot of our committee was impressed,” said Richer.

The audience learned a consultant will soon be hired to kick off a new Integrated Health Services and Facility Infrastructure Needs Assessment with an 18-24 month comple -

Andrew McLetchie, vice-president, integrated northern health, SHA, opened with a presentation reviewing existing health services by SHA. AHS also revealed the new dialysis unit is on track for completion by late summer 2024.

The needs assessment carries the promise of more timeline improvements at the hospital and the replacement of the Jubilee Home.

New Saskatchewan assistant deputy health minister, Norm O’Neill, couldn’t say when something will happen. However, he did

“In general, the capital process is one where the community brings needs forward through the Saskatchewan Health Authority into the ministry,” he said.

O’Neill went on to say the upcoming assessment will “probably include a capital component as well. The specific Jubilee, I can’t speak to it at this stage. I’m green, unfortunately.”

McLetchie suggested some other options for hospital replacement, renovation or expansion that the new assessment might identify.

“Sometimes there’s opportunities to use existing space and do renovations and sometimes event additions,” he said.

He thinks Lloydminster is positioned really well as a community, having an advisory council in place.

He called Richer’s group “the most informed community group I have ever met with.”

Sherie Allen, vicepresident, central zone north, Alberta Health Services (AHS), jumped on the assessment topic as well, noting an updated version has been long overdue since 2014.

“It is a very exciting time because it really helps us with the data we need in order to push things forward and look at what we can and will do differently,” said Allen.

“This is something we are excited to partner with.”