The Sun Country Regional Health Authority (SCRHA) has approved what will likely be its final budget.
The authority ratified the document at their regular meeting on May 31. Even though the SCRHA is slated to be amalgamated into the province-wide Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) before the end of the year, the budget is for the entire 2017-18 fiscal year.
Expenses are budgeted to be $157.5 million. Following mortgage and lease payments of $608,000, Sun Country is expecting to end the fiscal year in a breakeven position.
Wages and benefits account for about 70 per cent of the expenses. John Knoch, who is the acting president and CEO, noted wages and benefits have now exceeded the $100 million mark in the health region.
Other areas that account for significant expenses include repairs and maintenance at facilities, utilities, food, and medical and surgical supplies.
The provincial government’s grant is responsible for about 90 per cent of revenues. The remaining revenues come from fees for residents rent in long-term care facilities, as well as fees for home care, ambulance transportation and other services.
The document has been submitted to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health for approval.
A total of 11 positions have been eliminated. The bulk of those jobs were already vacant and won’t be filled. Included in the total were two senior management positions, two part-time administration roles, two temporary jobs in the Weyburn food services division, one director position in maintenance, one refrigerator mechanic job, one health information role, one part-time human resources job and one part-time medical training job.
The two food services jobs were the only ones that were staffed, he said. The people in those jobs were displaced and Knoch said they have picked up extra casual hours.
The capital budget includes $1.325 million for 2017-18, with $305,000 for new or replacement equipment, and $1.02 million for facility renovations and upgrades.
Knoch noted the health region always allocates a portion of its capital funding for St. Joseph’s Hospital. This year’s budget includes in $164,000 in capital funding for St. Joseph’s, which will allow for a portion of the roof to be repaired.
“We’ll continue to try to upgrade our buildings throughout Sun Country,” said Knoch. “We have 22 different sites that we operate, so we’ve got roofing project and window projects all over this region that we are planning to make changes to and to improve, so we have good solid investments and at the same time, places that are safe for residents and patients.”
St. Joseph’s Hospital executive director Greg Hoffort said the hospital will have a reduction of about $90,000 in funding this year, but they are pleased to receive money for equipment, and for the roof repairs above long-term care.
The cost for the roof repair is expected to be known this week.
Hoffort is also hopeful that any job losses at the hospital can be handed through vacancy management.
The budget is expected to carry through to the end of the fiscal year in March 2018, even though the SHA is expected to begin operations this fall. Knoch said there are expenses that are budgeted for throughout year that might not be necessary, but there are also expenses that will come up during the year, such as outbreaks and illnesses, that aren’t fully budgeted.
“The important thing that Sun Country looked at is to ensure that all of our areas and departments were adequately funded, and if there had to be any changes, that we considered those, and seriously looked at any alternatives and any opportunities for efficiencies,” said Knoch.
The biggest challenge this year was having less revenue for the budget, but they still produced a balanced budget.
“We recognize that as we move into the fall and into next year, the new Saskatchewan Health Authority will be taking over from some of the duties that Sun Country has, but we do want to make sure that we position this portion of the province well when the new Saskatchewan Authority does take over, and that the new SHA is not disadvantaged by perhaps making decisions now that we would regret … later on,” said Knoch.
