MINISTERS BREAK GROUND ON NEW YORKTON HEALTH FACILITY

Released on July 21, 2003

Health Minister John Nilson was in Yorkton today to approve the final design plans for a new $16.5 million multipurpose health care facility to serve Yorkton and surrounding communities.

"Our top priority is improving the quality of health services and access to care, while ensuring our health system is sustainable into the future," Nilson said. "This new facility will ensure timely and efficient delivery of quality health care, a key goal of the Action Plan for Saskatchewan Health Care."

The new facility will adjoin the Yorkton and District Nursing Home. It will feature 93 long-term care beds, including palliative, respite, transitional and convalescence beds. Space in the new health care facility will also be provided for outpatient physical and occupational therapy, acupuncture, the Acquired Brain Injury program, as well as adult day programming and a multi-denominational chapel. A new dietary food preparation unit will also be constructed in order to provide meals for clients, visitors and staff of all health care facilities in Yorkton.

The new health care facility will replace several older buildings, including Anderson Lodge, which will be renovated and used for other important health care services like speech language pathology, podiatry and community education services.

Deputy Premier and Yorkton MLA Clay Serby expressed his gratitude to members of the community planning committee who have worked so hard to get the project to this stage.

"Construction on the project is very close," Serby said. "We hope to see workers and equipment on the site by the end of summer to get it ready for construction. Soon we'll begin to witness the results of all the hard work and dedication that has been focused on this new facility."

Sunrise Regional Health Authority Board Chair Ben Weber applauded the provincial government for its financial commitment to this project.

"Providing quality long term care is an essential element of health care delivery at the local and provincial level," Weber said. "This project allows us to work together to improve long term care for the residents of Yorkton and surrounding communities."

The province is contributing 65 per cent of approved costs, with the balance funded by the local community through the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan. The foundation will also contribute $1.5 million of the total costs for furniture and equipment.

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For More Information, Contact:

Mark Rathwell Health Regina Phone: (306)787-4083