After she had given birth to her sixth child, a son, Tuckanow remembers being moved to a wheelchair and placed outside a surgery room.

“I was thinking, ‘what is going on?'” she said. “Then it clicked in my head.”

She said she tried to wheel herself away from the room, back to the maternity ward where she had given birth. But a nurse or doctor caught up, and wheeled her into surgery.

“I just said ‘I don’t want to do this’ and they just didn’t hear me,” she said.

She was given an epidural through tears and screams.

“‘No, stop’ I was saying, but they weren’t listening,” she said.

Tuckanow said she doesn’t remember signing any paperwork to approve getting tubal ligation, a sterilization process that prevents further pregnancies.

She said it was a consideration at one point in her pregnancy, but her husband at the time opposed the procedure so she decided not to get it done.

“I didn’t want to do it.”

HOSPITAL REVIEW

Tuckanow, now 45, isn’t the only woman who was pressured into the operation in the Saskatoon Health Region.

Officials say they know of at least four indigenous women who were forced into the procedure.

Stories first surfaced in the fall of 2015, when Tuckanow was inspired to come forward.

“It was kind of shocking to think other women went through the same thing I did,” she said. “I thought, I’ll tell my story to help them.”

The SHR changed their policy at that time, requiring mothers to have documentation of a conversation with their physician prior to arriving at the hospital for delivery. A tubal ligation can’t be conducted without it.

The region has apologized, and have ordered an external investigation into the practice.

“We are so sorry for the experience these women have had while in our care,” said Jackie Mann, vice president of integrated health services.

SHR isn’t certain how far back the forced ligations go, or how many women were affected.

But they’re encouraging more women to come forward.

Tuckanow says she’s glad the issue is in the open now, and she’s able to tell her family what happened.

She said she felt alone before 2015.

“They didn’t even know I went through this,” she said of her family.

–With files from Ashley Wills and Chris Vandenbreekel

Lachlan Kai Russell is Saskatoon’s New Year’s baby.

“I’m just overwhelmed with how special he is,” said mom Vanessa Russell. “He’s just my bundle of joy.”

He entered the world at 12:08 Sunday morning at Royal University Hospital, weighing a healthy seven pounds and 10 ounces.

“I just wanted a healthy baby,” Vanessa said. “I didn’t really care if it was a boy or a girl.”

Vanessa said it’s quite a competition between the nurses on who’s baby would be born first.

“All the nurses really want the New Year’s baby,” she said. “It was fun to see them competing last night.”

Despite being Canadian dad doesn’t want him to be the next Wayne Gretzky.

“We’re a big soccer family, so hopefully he’s a soccer star,” joked Lachlan Russell.

-With files from Erin McNutt
 

Whatever the source of infection, Opondo stressed that the region is seeing better and better outcomes for patients, provided they stick with their treatment plan. He emphasized that these days, managing HIV is similar to other chronic health conditions, such as diabetes. He noted that a young person infected in 2016 can expect to live a full lifespan with treatment. 

Overall, the health region report concluded that Saskatoon had an HIV infection rate of 14.6 per 100,000 people — double the national average.
 

A report presented to the region in November is making the case for bringing back house calls.

Speaking Tuesday morning with Gormley, SHR Board president Mike Stensrud noted it costs about $800 each time someone visits the ER, and more than 80 per cent of people aren’t admitted.

Of the people who are admitted to hospital, about a third live with chronic conditions, according to Stensrud. He said many of these cases are episodic in nature and could be prevented.

With that in mind, he said the SHR is setting up a pilot program where chronically ill patients will have a team of healthcare workers assigned to them, who will provide care in the patient’s home wherever possible.

“We will try to keep those folks healthy, rather than continue to slide downhill then be into hospital and then out, and then they’re largely on their own and it happens over and over and over,” Stensrud said.

Along with getting to patients in their homes, Stensrud noted the health region wants to look at creating new entry points into the healthcare system, either online or in new facilities. He said pilot projects in this area will look at ways to tailor care to individual geographical locations.

Stensrud cited the difference between the area around Louise Street, where several retirement residences serve an older population, and 22nd Street where many more families with young children live.

He said the idea would be to find ways to best address the unique health issues that arise in those types of areas.

“To try to take care of people in their homes, or through new doors that are more appropriate for the needs of that particular patient,” he said.

Stensrud expects the health region will have to spend some money at the outset to set up the pilot projects and perfect new service models. He said the reward will come in reduced healthcare costs over the long run. 

“The dream I think, is that eventually ER and hospital returns back to what it was designed to be,” he said.

The health region ended the 2015-16 fiscal year with a $35.7 million deficit, and continues to face significant financial challenges, on track for a $31.8-million shortfall in the current fiscal year. 

However, that number is still lower than what was originally projected. 

“We have made these decisions knowing how difficult this is for employees across out Region,” said Dan Florizone, President and CEO of Saskatoon Health Region.

Florizone said getting the region’s books in order is the most challenging financial situation he’s ever faced working in health care.

“We had hoped to avoid affecting the jobs of any of our over 11, 000 employees. However, we knew that with over 70 percent of our entire budget devoted to staffing, not affecting jobs was extremely unlikely.”

The health region said its goal is to minimize the impact on patient care while protecting services and programs, and that the job losses effect both unionized, and non-unionized positions.

In July, the region announced additional work expected to result in more than $34 million in annual savings after initiatives are all fully implemented.

Those included a two-month temporary in-scope hiring freeze and a voluntary separation package for out-of-scope staff. The voluntary separation program received nearly 40 applications, all of which are now being reviewed.

In addition to the sustainability initiatives, the region’s $1.2 billion operating budget includes the following allocations from the Ministry of Health:

• $12.4 million in incremental funding to cover wage increases agreed to through provincial collective bargaining and the Saskatchewan Medical Association
• $11.8 million in incremental inflation funding
• Saskatoon Regional Health Authority also approved the region’s capital plan including allocation of the Ministry of Health’s $23.9 million in capital funding to the following needed areas:
• $8 million for Royal University Hospital’s heating and cooling systems in support of Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan infrastructure needs
• $3.65 million for capital equipment
• $12.3 million in infrastructure improvements to be directed towards items such as nurse call system replacements in long term care, elevator replacements and roof repairs.​

Saskatoon Regional Health Authority also approved the region’s capital plan including allocation of the Ministry of Health’s $23.9 million in capital funding to the following needed areas:

• $8 million for Royal University Hospital’s heating and cooling systems in support of Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan infrastructure needs
• $3.65 million for capital equipment
• $12.3 million in infrastructure improvements to be directed towards items such as nurse call system replacements in long term care, elevator replacements and roof repairs.​

Dan Florizone said getting the region’s books in order is the most challenging financial situation he’s ever faced working in health care.

The health region posted a year-end deficit of $35.7 million and is on track for a $31.8-million shortfall in the current fiscal year. The deficit is lower than what was originally projected. 

“As a not-for-profit, publicly-funded organization, our target is a balanced operating budget,” Florizone said in a news release Wednesday.

“But we know that it will be extremely challenging to achieve this by the end of March as we continue to experience volume and demographic pressures. We have tough decisions to make in the weeks ahead as we continue to work to close the gap between revenues and expenses.”

The health region approved its 2016-17 operating budget and capital plan this week.

In July, the region announced additional work expected to result in more than $34 million in annual savings after initiatives are all fully implemented.

Those included a two-month temporary in-scope hiring freeze and a voluntary separation package for out-of-scope staff. The voluntary separation program received nearly 40 applications, all of which are now being reviewed.

In addition to the sustainability initiatives, the region’s $1.2 billion operating budget includes the following allocations from the Ministry of Health:

• $12.4 million in incremental funding to cover wage increases agreed to through provincial collective bargaining and the Saskatchewan Medical Association
• $11.8 million in incremental inflation funding

Saskatoon Regional Health Authority also approved the region’s capital plan including allocation of the Ministry of Health’s $23.9 million in capital funding to the following needed areas:

• $8 million for Royal University Hospital’s heating and cooling systems in support of Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan infrastructure needs
• $3.65 million for capital equipment
• $12.3 million in infrastructure improvements to be directed towards items such as nurse call system replacements in long term care, elevator replacements and roof repairs.​

Health Region CEO says safety measures from previous incident not enough 

Safety on the site arose as an issue in late October 2015, when a forklift crashed through a window at the nearby Royal University Hospital. No one was hurt in that incident, but Graham  and the health region committed to a better approach — including a new safety plan and committee. Florizone said the committee’s recommendations were implemented, but it’s clear more needs to be done.

“Unfortunately, it’s not safe enough. And that is reflected by this tragedy yesterday.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not safe enough. And that is reflected by this tragedy yesterday,” he said.

 
Anderson told reporters investigators from Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) had arrived at the site Friday morning. With the investigation still in the early stages, he said there was still no information on what caused a steel construction lift to fall on the young man, who was working for sub-contractor Banff Constructors Ltd.
 
He said work at the site would remain stopped until the OH&S investigation is finished — and that Graham would co-operate fully.
 
“It will take whatever it takes so OH&S gets the information they need,” he said.
 
Florizone added that once the investigation wraps up, all parties will have to sign off before work can continue.
 
“We’ll allow the investigators to do their work. We’ll see what their recommendations teach us. And until we’re assured, Graham is assured and Saskatchewan Labour and Workplace Safety is assured that that site is safe, it won’t be re-opened for construction,” he said. 

It started on Sunday when the region when to fulfill their required software upgrade. The restoration process took longer than expected and has slowed down the order entry process at the community collection sites.

The region is asking for help from the public. According to a release on the website:

• If you have a need for ROUTINE testing, please delay your visit to a collection site until Monday, June 13th. This will help ensure those needing urgent tests have their tests collected, and entered safely and quickly. While using manual processes, focusing only on urgent tests will help reduce the risk of error.
• If you require URGENT testing, please DO NOT delay your visit to these locations. If your test is urgent, it has been identified on your requisition form as being urgent by your physician.

Doctors do know what has happened and if you talk to yours they will help to decide if you need to go immediately or not.

The region has their technical people focusing on getting the issue fixed and back online to normal operations.

Florizone addressed media Wednesday; he is taking over effective immediately from interim CEO Andrew Will.

“I hope to be a better CEO as a result of the experience I went through, and again , I’m looking at the silver lining – this is a very tough decision to leave, a tough decision to come back into it,” said Florizone, who received a clear bill of health Monday.  

“The reason I say that is, I wanted to be able to assure the board they had stability,” he said.   

Florizone still isn’t discussing his illness, only to say it was personal; he took the leave at the end of November, just days after announcing deep cuts to the health region following the largest projected budget shortfall in its history.

Florizone plans to stay on long term and will be meeting with his leadership team to get back up to speed.