In this issue:

Public Service Announcements and News Releases

• Rosthern emergency department equipped with point-of-care testing

Clinical Information

• Safer Practice Bulletin - Transfusion 

Staff Information

• When Resilience Fails - well-being video series
• Patient Hand Hygiene initiative - starting February 2
• Code of the Month - Code Red
• Contracting, Procurement and Supply Management February newsletter

Recognition and Appreciation

• Donors power $5.5 million upgrade to Royal University Hospital cardiology suites
• Recreation Therapy Month

 Public Service Annoucements and News Releases

Rosthern emergency department equipped with point-of-care testing:

To support seamless access to local emergency health services, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has implemented point-of-care testing in the emergency department at Rosthern Hospital.

🌐View full release

 Clinical Information 

Safer Practice Bulletin – Transfusion

Blood products or components must be completely infused/transfused within four hours to prevent bacterial growth and patient harm.

Refer to the latest practice bulletin below for more information and share with your teams.

📄Safer Practice Bulletin - Transfusion

 Staff Information 

When Resilience Fails - well-being video series

This short video, When Resilience Fails (three minutes), reminds us that feeling overwhelmed or detached is not weakness—it is what happens when resilience is depleted. It introduces a simple “regular check-in” practice to help you notice early signs of stress, pause, and reset before burnout.

Watch the video and use the Practice Resource to guide your own check-in this week. 

Visit the SHA Well-being webpage for more information about our well-being model and available supports.

🖥️Video: When Resilience Fails

Patient Hand Hygiene Initiative – starting February 2

Effective February 2, Nutrition and Food Services and Infection Prevention and Control will be rolling out a Patient Hand Hygiene initiative across the SHA in all patient-care areas (excluding mental health and pediatrics at this time). Nutrition and Food Services will place hand hygiene wipes on food trays prior to meals. This initiative ensures that all patients - regardless of mobility or functional limitations - have access to hand hygiene immediately before eating, supporting clean hands and reducing the risk of infection.

Code of the Month - Code Red

February’s Code of the Month highlights Code Red: Fire/Smoke, which is activated to protect life and property during a fire or smoke emergency. Staff are reminded to follow the R.A.C.E. procedure:

• Rescue those in danger;
• Alarm by pulling the fire alarm and announcing Code Red;
• Contain by closing doors and clearing hallways and;
• Extinguish/Evacuate if it is necessary and safe to do so.

Please see February’s Code of the Month poster and take time to review your Code Red emergency response plan.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Health Emergency Management team by emailing  SHA.HEM@saskhealthauthority.ca.

📄Poster - Code Red

Contracting, Procurement and Supply Management February newsletter

The Contracting, Procurement and Supply Management newsletter includes:

• capital equipment email addresses;
• sterile water updates;
• new requisitioners;
• supply chain disruptions and backorders.

Please share the newsletter below with your teams.

📄Newsletter - February 2026

 Recognition and Appreciation 

Donors power $5.5 million upgrade to Royal University Hospital cardiology suites

Thanks to a $5.5 million investment by Royal University Hospital (RUH) Foundation, Saskatchewan patients and health-care teams are now benefiting from newly renovated, state-of-the-art interventional cardiology suites at the Royal Univeristy Hospital.

The upgraded Walter and Margaret McNabb Interventional Cardiology Suite replaces aging infrastructure with advanced technology that supports life-saving cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology procedures. This critical modernization enhances workflow, reduces delays and strengthens patient and staff safety.
Completed at the end of 2025, the suites are fully operational and support up to 20 procedures each day, serving as a key referral centre for advanced heart care across the northern half of the province. More than 4,000 interventional cardiology procedures are performed at the Royal University Hospital each year.

This project is a powerful example of how community generosity helps equip Saskatchewan’s health-care professionals with the tools needed to deliver the best possible care.

🌐Learn more

Dr. Jason Orvold, Cardiologist and Division Head of Cardiology, in the new Electrophysiology Lab at the Royal University Hospital.

Recreation Therapy Month

In February, Canadians recognize recreation therapy and the important role it plays in people’s lives. Recreation and leisure activities help individuals of all ages recover from illness or injury, manage ongoing health conditions, or adapt to disabilities—supporting health, independence, and a better quality of life.

For individuals recovering from addiction or managing a mental health condition, recreation therapy can provide a healthy outlet for stress, naturally boost mood, rebuild self-confidence, and strengthen self-regulation, coping skills and resilience. For those living with chronic health conditions, recreation therapy emphasizes abilities rather than limitations, helping individuals find connection, joy and purpose despite ongoing challenges.

This month, celebrate recreation therapy practitioners in your area for their important contributions to SHA health-care teams. Their work in supporting and caring for individuals in long-term care, acute care and community settings remains an important part of person-centered health care in Saskatchewan. To learn more about recreation therapy in SHA, please check out our Provincial SharePoint Recreation Therapy Community of Practice site. 

🌐SharePoint: Recreation Therapy

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SHA Rounds is the Saskatchewan Health Authority's e-newsletter. Send your feedback to news@saskhealthauthority.ca