Effective August 26, 2010, Sunrise Health Region will temporarily suspend Nurse Practitioner service at the Primary Health Care Office in Foam Lake. The service will be reinstated when a Nurse Practitioner is recruited.
Persons wishing to access or redirect their health record to another health care provider can do so by contacting the Primary Health Care office on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm.
A full-time Nurse Practitioner was part of the Primary Health Care team in Foam Lake from 2004 until May 2009. Despite recruitment efforts that have included advertising in traditional and electronic mediums and hiring a recruitment company, the position remains vacant. Nurse Practitioners are a profession that is difficult to recruit. A shortage of Nurse Practitioners across the health region had recently reduced availability for Foam Lake coverage to only two days a month and these gaps in service resulted in a loss of continuity of care.
The health region consulted with the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association, Canadian Nurse Protective Society, and the Chief Nursing Officer for Saskatchewan prior to deciding that temporary suspension is the only option. The health region also discussed the situation with Dr. Bia who supports the Nurse Practitioner in the community.
"Dr. Bia and the community of Foam Lake have embraced the concept of Primary Health Care and the health region has worked hard to establish and cooperatively staff this site," says Interim CEO Suann Laurent. "Careful thought and consultation preceded this decision and the health region is committed to re-establishing service as soon as possible."
Other primary health care services will be augmented to assist people in the community, including additional chronic disease management, the Heart to Heart, Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Live Well with Chronic Conditions programs, and other health promotion services. More information will be forthcoming about these programs and persons can call the Primary Health Care Office during the previously stated hours to find out more.
Public Health nursing and inspection, Home Care service, ambulance and visiting services remain unchanged as do the clinic days and times at Dr. Bia's medical clinic.
