Turtleford joins 28 other rural communities where the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s (SHA’s) virtual physician program is supporting local health-care teams in maintaining access to emergency department services.

The virtual physician program is an interim measure that helps sustain and support access to emergency health services while work continues to recruit physicians to rural and remote locations across Saskatchewan. As part of the provincial government’s Health Human Resource (HHR) Action Plan, recruitment and retention of health-care professionals remains a priority for the SHA and Government of Saskatchewan.

While awaiting the arrival of two new physicians this spring and with recruitment efforts underway to fill the remaining provider vacancy in Turtleford, HealthLine 811 technology enables emergency department physicians to remotely support the local health-care team in safely addressing emergent patient needs when local physicians are temporarily unavailable.

When rural facilities are using the virtual physician program, the emergency department functions the same. Patients are still initially assessed and triaged by an on-site registered nurse (RN) who uses technology to consult the physician by phone or video. Working with the on-site health-care team, the physician remotely assesses the patient to provide direction on the appropriate care required to safely and effectively treat their current condition.

Individuals requiring emergency services should call 9-1-1. Non-urgent health-related questions may be directed to the 24/7 HealthLine service by calling 8-1-1.

This statement is being issued on behalf of the Saskatchewan Health Authority as an update regarding an incident resulting in a patient death at Royal University Hospital.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) extends our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Trevor Dubois. We recognize the profound grief and deep loss experienced by his family, friends and community.

The SHA takes the circumstances surrounding Mr. Dubois’ death at Royal University Hospital extremely seriously. We remain committed to accountability and to ensuring a safe care environment for patients, visitors and staff in all SHA facilities. We recognize that Mr. Dubois’ family and loved ones have important questions and are seeking answers, and we will remain engaged with the Saskatoon Tribal Council and with the family to provide support and to respond to questions as information becomes available through the investigative processes.

The incident remains under active investigation by the Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, and we are fully cooperating with these investigations. Internally, the SHA has deemed this a Critical Incident, which initiates a legislated process for review and reporting, including a formal internal review. In any situation where force is used by Protective Services Officers, a use-of-force review is also initiated. To support impartiality, the SHA is engaging a third-party contractor to conduct this review. Immediately following the incident, the SHA suspended the Protective Services Officer involved in the altercation, who is an employee of the SHA, pending the outcome of this review and a related labour relations investigation.

At this time, and out of respect for the investigative processes and those involved, we are not able to provide further details related to the circumstances of the incident. We remain committed to providing updates when appropriate.

The SHA’s priority remains ensuring hospitals are safe and secure for patients, visitors and staff. In the coming days, the SHA will share additional information on further actions being advanced in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to strengthen safety and security in hospitals, as we respond to the increasing complexity and volume of situations requiring intervention by Protective Services.

View the SHA’s initial release from Friday, January 9 regarding this incident.

This statement is being issued on behalf of the Saskatchewan Health Authority regarding an incident resulting in a patient death early today at Royal University Hospital.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is committed to accountability and to ensuring a safe care environment for patients, visitors, and staff. The SHA is supporting an investigation into the death of a patient at Royal University Hospital following an incident involving SHA Protective Services Officers. The SHA takes this incident extremely seriously and we extend our sincere condolences to the patient’s family and loved ones.

On the morning of Friday, Jan. 9, SHA Protective Services Officers were called to a patient room after staff reported a safety concern involving an admitted patient. During the response, a physical altercation occurred between the patient and SHA Protective Services Officers, and the patient became unresponsive. Medical staff responded to provide patient care and pronounced the patient deceased.

The SHA immediately notified the Saskatoon Police Service, who are actively investigating the incident. The SHA is fully cooperating with the police investigation and has deemed this a Critical Incident, which initiates a legislated process for review and reporting, including a formal internal review.

The SHA is coordinating with the Saskatoon Tribal Council to provide supports to the patient’s family and loved ones. The SHA is also providing support to staff members impacted by this incident.

As the investigation is ongoing, and out of respect for those involved, no further information is available at this time. Additional updates will be provided when appropriate.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) expanded point-of-care testing to the Assiniboia Union Hospital Integrated Facility emergency department.

Point-of-care testing is a supplementary initiative that enables trained local health-care team members to rapidly conduct essential diagnostics on-site at facilities when laboratory professionals are unavailable. Several tests can be performed using point-of-care testing technology, including:

• hemoglobin to evaluate anemia and blood loss;

• white blood cell counts to determine the presence of infection;

• urinalysis for assessing kidney function and detecting urinary tract infections; and,

• cardiac markers to evaluate heart health.

When needed, these tools support timely clinical decision-making and ensure residents benefit from seamless access to their local emergency health services.

This care delivery initiative is already supporting residents in nine other rural communities across the province access emergency department services where and when they need it. Since 2023, point-of-care testing has prevented 253 potential service disruptions, as of December 12, 2025.

Laboratory services are one of several components required to keep emergency departments operational. The point-of-care testing program is part of an overall strategy to enhance access to rural and remote emergency departments. The SHA and Government of Saskatchewan are committed to recruiting staff to rural laboratories.

The SHA appreciates the health-care teams in rural and remote communities, who work to minimize service disruptions and ensure emergency department services remain available to residents in the communities they serve.