Six Sask. hospital foundations join forces to deliver diagnostic sonography program

Following the provincial government's announcement of a new diagnostic sonography program, six Saskatchewan hospital foundations banned together to provide funding for the project.

"We're working with high technology, state of the art, and we wanted to ensure our learners had best in class experience. And that equipment does come at a price. So we are thankful for our partners here across the province of Saskatchewan, the foundations that can support us along with other supporters in our region," Alison Dubreuil, president & CEO of Suncrest College said.

For the first time in Saskatchewan's history, six hospital foundations collaborated to lobby for and fund a specific clinical education program.

The approximately $500,000 will go towards the technology and equipment required to start the program.

Suncrest College, located in Yorkton, will be the base for this program. The 28-month long program will provide students with the skills to work as ultrasound technicians, including placements within Saskatchewan healthcare facilities.

Ultrasound technicians are one of the many healthcare professions in high demand within the province, and this program aims to retain more graduates.

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"In two or three years time, we would have our recruitment teams right there, as we do right now through the health recruitment agency, through the SHA, to say, 'You know what? No matter what health care training program you're graduating from, whether it's sonography, whether it's nursing, whether it's as a care aide, we want to ensure that that, as a graduate of that program that you're going to have a job here in Saskatchewan." Minister of Health Everett Hindley said following the announcement.

These funds come from a collaboration between the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan (Yorkton), Hospitals of Regina Foundation, St. Paul's Hospital Foundation (Saskatoon), Boreal Healthcare Foundation (Prince Albert), Lloydminster Region Health Foundation, and St. Anthony's Foundation (Esterhazy).

"We've done previous programs with the college, but we wanted to look at doing something that would actually out of service that we don't have here. That makes sense because it's difficult to recruit stenographers. And we all find out as a challenge in the different facilities that we have." Ross Fisher, executive director of The Health Foundation of Eastern Saskatchewan said.

The program kicks off this fall with six seats for students, and plans to create an additional six cohorts each year.