By Tara de Ryk
April 6, 2010

ROSETOWN-There were few surprises in the March 24 provincial budget, says Greg Cummings, president and CEO of Heartland Regional Health.

The premier had forewarned health regions to expect a marginal increase in health spending for 2010 and true to the premier's word, the provincial government presented a budget with a 3 per cent spending increase provincewide.

For Heartland, that translates into an increase of 2.6 per cent, however, it has a net effect of a $1 million reduction in operating costs.

"We are diligently working to see how to meet our requirements," Cummings said.

He said Heartland Health, along with the other health regions, has been directed by Saskatchewan Health to cut operational costs.

Heartland needs to save $425,000 in expenses that have to do with overtime, sick time and work-related injuries.

This has been an ongoing effort over the last 24 months.

"Our limited progress in this area to date has resulted in ambitious targets for 2010. We will strive to reduce overtime by 17. 5 per cent, sick time by 6 per cent and time lost claims by 10 per cent," Cummings states.

Last year, overtime pay cost Heartland $1.5 million and sick time was $2 million.

Cummings said the region is looking at ways to reduce overtime and sick time by ensuring consistent scheduling practices and promoting and providing safe work practices.

Cummings said Heartland Health is "probably on the high end in comparison to other health regions in the province" when it comes to overtime pay.

He said each region has its own challenges. Heartland, he said, lacks a large centre and facility that has access to a large staff, so the region depends on small groups of staff in each facility.

It makes the region vulnerable to overtime and sick time.

The region has been implementing an automated scheduling system that Cummings said puts priority on whom should be called and in what order they are called into work according to terms of collective agreements the region has with its unions.

Another factor is its ageing workforce. These people have done physical jobs all their lives and injuries are a factor.

He said the health region is investing in education so people use proper lifting and transfer techniques.

"A lot of our staff is working with people with mobility challenges. Working with people is not the same as lifting heavy objects," he says.

The region is also investing in equipment to help with transferring patients to help take the load off staff.

The health region is also looking to save $434,000 by increasing efficiency to improve service without increasing costs. One component of this is to reduce meetings and travel by using telehealth services.

Heartland Health is also looking at saving $90,000 by sharing services and forming strategic partnerships to improve purchasing power to save costs as well as looking for savings in buying insurance, and natural gas services.

The budget reduced capital funding. As a result Heartland Health has no new projects planned. This will not affect the three long-term care replacements projects in Biggar, Rosetown and Unity, which will proceed as planned.

The leaderonline is a division of The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada.