PIPD Update July 4, 2025

 Saskatoon City Hospital Acute Care Capacity Expansion update

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is adding 109 acute care beds to Saskatoon City Hospital (SCH) and recruiting more than 400 additional staff and physicians — an expansion equivalent to opening a new regional hospital. To support this growth, the SHA will renovate key hospital areas and transition select services into the community.

What’s new?

• The Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) Program and Pre-Assessment Clinic (PAC) will be moved to Market Mall in Saskatoon in early 2026.
• Design efforts are well underway to prepare areas of the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors for acute care bed capacity. The construction contact will be in place in July.
• Patients in the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) and Convalescent Unit (CU) will be transitioned into appropriate community settings in August 2025.
• The first 20 medicine beds are targeted to be operational August 11, 2025.
• Recruitment/hiring has commenced.
• Staff have the opportunity to be involved in design and workflow development. Working groups are being created to support unit planning at SCH. Cultural components are being considered for the new spaces including rehab, medicine, and long-term care.
• Operational leads are working through the process of determining staffing workflows and patient admission criteria.
• There will be training for all transitioning staff at all locations.

New Infection Prevention and Control documents

IPAC has published new information to its intranet site for all SHA staff to refer to:

• Storage of Clean and Sterile Supplies document outlines Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) recommendations for the safe storage of clean and sterile supplies in all health-care settings. It can be found on the IPAC Best Practice Recommendations page.

Just an fyi, we have had an increase in hospital acquired infections on the ward lately. Public Health Canada identifies “hand hygiene as the most effective way of preventing the transmission of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) to patients, staff and visitors in all healthcare settings” (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2012, p. 5).

Stroke Awareness Month: FAST Toolkit

A study funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation found the annual stroke rates in Canada have increased to 108,707 — roughly one every five minutes.

June is Stroke Awareness Month in Canada. Did you know there is a face, arms, speech, and time (FAST) Toolkit available for use? The toolkit has various resources to increase FAST awareness.

Increase in hours for Saskatoon City Hospital Emergency Department: Saskatoon City Hospital Emergency Department is increasing its hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., effective Sunday, June 29.

CNE Update

MTX 24hr/26hr 
the rate calculation sheet has been modified to provide clarity. A copy is hanging on the Education Board. 

Skin reaction to Tegaderm?

Try using the Mepitel Film. It is kept in the dressing cart. 

Hemodialysis

The Ward/Hemodialysis Communication Sheet is now on our S-Drive: Pediatrics-Acute Care: Print on Demand - forms not on FOD: Ward HD Communication Sheet. 

You can also search "HD" or "communication" in the search box and it will pop up. Please use one before sending a patient for Hemodialysis. This sheet is owned by the Renal/HS Program.

AirTap

We have a patient on AirTap. Please leave the AirTap (blue) sling under the patient at all times. Use the special moisture wicking body climate pads (large disposable soakers) on top of the AirTap. These are kept in room 2013 only! Do not put anything other than the fitted bed sheet under the AirTap. The AirTap is good for 30 days and is single patient use only. Information can be found on the S-Drive: Q-Cards - nursing: AirTap (folder). This video is found in the S-Drive folder: AirTap LC Instruction Video

In-Line suctioning (closed suctioning)

We have a patient that is requiring In-Line suctioning for the trach. This sheet is in the care plan and on the S-Drive: Q-cards - nursing: Tracheostomy (folder): In-line trach suctioning. 

NEW small volume nebulizers

Once all the old stock is gone, these new nebs will be in-stock. There is no change to how the neb works, how much oxygen needed to create mist, how we clean and air dry after each use, and replace qSunday. A demo is hanging at the Education Board.

🎉KUDOS🎉

Karalie - for the great catch on an infusion error

Kalei - for her attention to details, quick learning, and for starting family teaching for a complex patient.

Marina - for figuring out that kids with reactions to Tegaderm do not seem to react to Mepitel Film.

Mel C - for telling us about an awesome product that we hope to see being used soon! (More information to come)

From Sharon and Tammy:

 It's time to recognize some members of our team!

Congratulations on your long service awards!!

 

Faith Bae                                 15 Years                                 February 25, 2024                      

Twyla Bode                                25 Years                                 May 3, 2024                            

Jonathan Bollinger                        25 Years                                 June 7, 2024                           

David Bragg                               5 Years                                  April 23, 2024                         

Christine Cardenas                        15 Years                                 February 25, 2024                      

Melanie Cross                             25 Years                                 July 12, 2024                          

Raegan Dirk                               10 Years                                 February 3, 2024                       

Cheyenne Grimes                           5 Years                                  April 29, 2024                         

Ellen Herrick                             10 Years                                 April 28, 2024                         

Kelsey Isbister                           10 Years                                 May 12, 2024                           

Kasthuri Isravel                          10 Years                                 February 4, 2024                       

Mariah Katsiris                           5 Years                                  July 29, 2024                          

Mandy Lawrence                            10 Years                                 July 7, 2024                           

Morgan Lueken                             5 Years                                  January 7, 2024                        

Racheal Martens                           5 Years                                  January 7, 2024                        

Elizabeth Mcqueen                         5 Years                                  February 16, 2024                      

Laura Mongovius                           15 Years                                 July 6, 2024                           

Sara Pander                               10 Years                                 March 3, 2024                          

Bronwen Pasishnik                         5 Years                                  August 26, 2024                        

Natalie Pouliot                           5 Years                                  July 29, 2024                          

Danielle Prescesky                        5 Years                                  September 23, 2024                     

Elise Reban                               20 Years                                 April 28, 2024                         

Sandra Romero                             15 Years                                 April 29, 2024                         

Teri Rothenburger                         5 Years                                  May 6, 2024                            

Heather Sandherr                          10 Years                                 September 22, 2024                     

Breanna Sanson                            5 Years                                  May 27, 2024                            

Kyle Wiens                                10 Years                                 April 28, 2024                         

Kathryn Zello                             10 Years                                 April 28, 2024                         

Heather Blum                              45 Years                                 July 6, 2024                           

Amanda Dahlen                             5 Years                                  June 10, 2024                          

Carla Deschamps                           15 Years                                 June 8, 2024                           

Kathleen Garcia                           5 Years                                  October 21, 2024                       

Reshelene Guinto                          5 Years                                  October 21, 2024                       

Juvy Pagdanganan Idris                    5 Years                                  August 26, 2024                        

Krystal Jordan                            10 Years                                 June 25, 2024                          

Sarah Schmiedge                           15 Years                                 March 9, 2024                          

Dexter Soreta                             5 Years                                  October 28, 2024

 

Learnings: A reminder to all of us to review code for July: CODE SILVER as well as the new privacy module 2025 in my connection. If you have some time on your shifts, please review : )

Have a great weekend! 🌞

Kara