All links are best viewed in Google Chrome. Use the links below to quickly navigate to a section. | - Fall immunization appointment bookings open now
- Province improves access to exception drug coverage
| - Orange Shirt Day team submissions - September 30
- Truth and Reconciliation in Social Work Practice – Moving Beyond Good Intentions to Create Meaningful Change
| - Canadian Patient Safety Week
- Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week
- National Health Care Supply Chain Week
- Thank you Public Health Inspectors
| - Fall immunization bookings now open
- SHA Ethics Week
| - Participate in Assessment of Provider Preference in Using Tinzaparin in Patients with Renal Dysfunction survey
- Share your feedback on In-Scope Employee Performance Reviews
| - NEW: Indigenous Smudging Ceremony Policy (SHA-04-007)
- Drug Formulary Policy and Procedure revisions
- Responding to an Unwell or Injured Person on SHA Grounds Policy revisions
| - High Acuity Admission Clinical Standard: Effective October 06, 2026
- Phlebotomy performed by non-Laboratory Staff
- CS-G-0468 Solution and Administration Set Change Guideline
- COVID Flu clinical document update
| - Saskatoon City Hospital Pancake Breakfast
- Lunch and Learn: Ebola and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers an overview and readiness update
- Annual gastrointestinal (GI) Education Conference - CSGNA Regina
- Canada West Health Leaders Conference
- Community Screening - SEWÂTSIWIN: They Are Sacred
- NEW: Saskatchewan Transfusion Symposium
- Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation - Breast Health Centre Silent Auction
- SHEPP Retirement Ahead Information Sessions
- Free online suicide prevention training
- Privacy Training – Foundations in MyWork
- LEAP Training Sessions
- ECHO Autism SK - Supporting Mental Health Across the School Years
- Continuing Medical Education - Webinars, Conferences, and Courses
| Public Service Announcements and News Releases | Fall immunization appointment bookings open now Beginning Tuesday, October 6, Saskatchewan residents can start booking appointments to receive this year's influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations. Immunization against respiratory illness is a safe and effective way to help stay healthy, prevent illness and save lives. 🌐 View full release | Province improves access to exception drug coverage The Government of Saskatchewan is expanding the Limited Access Exception Drug Status Application (LAEA) allowing participating community pharmacists to submit online requests for select Exception Drug Status (EDS) medications on behalf of eligible patients. 🌐 View full release | Turning Our Commitment into Action | Orange Shirt Day team submissions - September 30 Thank you to all staff and practitioners who sent in photos from September 30 for National Day for Truth and Reconcialition. | | | St. Peters Hospital in Melville, SK | | | | Primary Health Care North and South Network team members | | | | Orange Shirt Day Run/Walk in Saskatoon, SK | | Truth and Reconciliation in Social Work Practice – Moving Beyond Good Intentions to Create Meaningful Change 📅October 28, 2026 🕑2:30 p.m.
Presenter: Cassie Stehanski, First Nations University of Canada
This presentation will examine the TRC and Calls to Action, highlight the importance of self-reflection, and discuss challenges and opportunities in providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive care. Participants will leave with practical tools and strategies to support meaningful reconciliation efforts in their daily practice.
Be sure to check out the SHA’s Registered Social Workers SharePoint!
If you have questions, contact Brina Down, Manager of Professional Practice, Social Work. 📄 Poster 🌐 Register | Recognition and Appreciation | Canadian Patient Safety Week We are proud to participate in Canadian Patient Safety Week (October 26 - 30). Safety belongs in every moment, and every moment is an opportunity to shape safer care. What shapes safer care? Sometimes it's a conversation that helps someone feel heard. Sometimes it's teamwork during a transition in care. Sometimes it's asking a question, speaking up or taking time to listen. This Canadian Patient Safety Week, we're reflecting on the everyday moments that shape safety – and how every moment counts. https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca/intranet/departments-programs/quality-improvement-patient-experience-and-strategy/patient-safety-experience/patient-safety SHA – Showing We Care – Living Our Values - Safer care is shaped every day through conversations, relationships, environments and systems.
- Everyone contributes to safer care, regardless of their role or lived experience.
- Patient safety is more than preventing harm — it is also about creating environments where patients, families, care partners and the workforce feel heard, respected, included and supported.
- Reflection, curiosity and shared learning help uncover opportunities to strengthen safety.
- Every step forward – big or small – matters. Safer care grows through continuous learning and improvement.
🌐 Learn more - CPSW 2026 🌐 Patient Safety | Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week is October 5-9, 2026. Up to 1 in 2 adult patients admitted to hospital are malnourished, resulting in stays that are, on average, three days longer and costing the health-care system an estimated $2 billion annually. Canadian Malnutrition Awareness Week (CMAW) is an annual educational campaign led by the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force (CMTF). They work to reduce malnutrition across healthcare settings by raising awareness, strengthening nutrition care practices, and promoting evidence-based standards and policies. The theme for CMAW 2026, "Lead the Change," emphasizes turning evidence into action. Through expert-led webinars and educational resources, the campaign empowers health-care providers to advance malnutrition care. In April 2026, the CMTF partnered with the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) to strengthen malnutrition data collection across Canada. Saskatchewan dietitians have played an important role in advancing malnutrition diagnosis and supporting coding changes that highlight the importance of identifying malnutrition. CIHI now mandates coding of all documented malnutrition diagnoses, supporting improved reporting, surveillance, and quality improvement across the health-care system. 🌐 Learn more | National Health Care Supply Chain Week National Healthcare Supply Chain Week celebrates the health-care supply chain and procurement professionals who work behind the scenes to ensure clinicians have access to the right products, at the right time, and at the right value. Through strategic sourcing, contract management, cost savings initiatives, and supplier partnerships, these teams help secure high-quality products that support the best possible outcomes for patients while ensuring the responsible stewardship of health-care resources 🌐 Learn more | Thank you Public Health Inspectors Public Health Inspection team members hosted their quarterly meeting on September 23 during Environmental Public Health Week. Thank you to all Public Health Inspectors across the province for everything you do in keeping patients and communities safe. | Fall immunization bookings now open Public appointments for influenza and COVID-19 immunizations are now available to book through the SHA Patient Booking System or by calling 1-833-727-5829. Public and staff immunization clinics will begin providing vaccinations on October 13. A list of walk-in clinic schedules across the province is also available, along with a link to the booking system, at 4flu.ca. Starting October 13, the SHA will also be offering vaccines to SHA employees and physicians through Occupational/Employee Health nursing teams and peer immunizers. Please reach out to your local Occupational/Employee Health nursing teams for further details. Staff can also visit community clinics, select pharmacies, and family physician offices across the province. Staff and physicians can find 2026-27 Immunization Campaign resources and toolkits on the SHA Intranet that include posters, postcards, and clinic listings to use in your communities and facilities. Translated versions of each resource is also available in seven languages. Protect yourself, colleagues, clients, residents, patients and communities this fall: Get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines as early as possible! | SHA Ethics Week As part of National Ethics Week, November 3 to 6, the SHA Ethics team will be offering educational sessions through Teams. Please review the Ethics poster or capture the information through the The goals of National Health Ethics Week: - Encourage events across the country to raise awareness and promote dialogue about bioethics ethics issues facing our communities;
- Facilitate networking between individuals interested in bioethics;
- Provide greater visibility for the services offered by the Canadian bioethics community, including research ethics boards and clinical ethics committees;
- Offer an opportunity for Canadians to get engaged in discussions that have important policy- making implications in the health arena.
📄 Poster - Ethics Week | Participate in Assessment of Provider Preference in Using Tinzaparin in Patients with Renal Dysfunction survey This survey is aimed towards physicians, pharmacists, and nurses who are actively involved in thrombosis prevention or management in adults. Your participation is voluntary and will require the completion of a 15-minute REDcap survey. If you do decide to participate, you are able to withdraw at any time before submitting your survey responses without having to provide any reason. Please review the study consent form before continuing to the survey. This study is funded by LEO Pharma Inc. Deadline to complete is October 21, 2026. If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please contact the primary investigator, Joshua Nurkowski. 🌐 Complete survey | Share your feedback on In-Scope Employee Performance Reviews The In-Scope Employee Performance Review process is intended to support meaningful conversations about your contributions, strengths, goals, and development. As we continue to enhance the performance review process and website, we'd like to hear more about your experience.
We invite you to complete a short 5-minute survey to share what's working well and where improvements could be made. Feedback received so far has already helped inform enhancements to the review experience, and your input will continue to guide future improvements.
Thank you for your time. Your insights are helping us create a more effective, accessible, and user-friendly experience for employees across the SHA. 🌐 Complete In-Scope Employee Performance Reviews survey | Policy Reviews and Changes | NEW: Indigenous Smudging Ceremony Policy (SHA-04-007) The Indigenous Smudging Ceremony Policy (SHA-04-007) is now in effect. All SHA Team Members are required to review this policy and include: - Staff;
- Practitioner Staff;
- Learners;
- Contractors;
- Contracted Individuals;
- Volunteers;
- Patient Family Partners (PFPs) and
- Knowledge Keepers
🌐 Review on e-Learn | Drug Formulary Policy and Procedure revisions The SHA Drug Formulary Policy (SHA-08-008) and SHA Drug Formulary Procedure (SHA-08-008P1) has been revised. The following sections have been updated or added: - New section added to the procedure – Adapting Medication Orders
- New definitions
- Clarified information throughout the policy and procedure
To review the revised policy and procedure, please login to the SHA’s e-Learn. 🌐 Review on e-Learn | Responding to an Unwell or Injured Person on SHA Grounds Policy revisions The Responding to an Unwell or Injured Person on SHA Grounds Policy (SHA-08-013) and Responding to an Unwell or Injured Person on SHA Grounds Q and A has been revised. The following sections have been updated or added: Policy updates: - 3.3 updated for clarity
- Roles and Responsibilities
- 4.2 added Site Leaders and 4.3 updated for clarity
Q and A updates: - Additional questions and answers added
- Adjustments to answers for clarity
🌐 Review on e-Learn | High Acuity Admission Clinical Standard: Effective October 06, 2026 NEW: CS-CS-0030 High Acuity Criteria - Establishes provincial minimum requirements for patient care and service provisions within designated High Acuity beds.
- High Acuity beds are intended for patients requiring enhanced monitoring, more frequent interventions, or a level of care complexity that exceeds that of a regular inpatient bed, but do not require the resource intensity of a critical care setting. These beds support the delivery of enhanced nursing care and monitoring for patients at increased risk of clinical deterioration.
- The clinical standard provides guidance on patient admission criteria, considerations for transfer out of High Acuity beds, and care requirements that cannot be safely managed within a High Acuity setting.
- The accompanying CS-G-0549 High Acuity Beds Site Location identifies the acute care sites where the clinical standard currently applies. Additional sites with designated high acuity beds and the required resources will be added as they become operationally ready, as determined by local acute care leaders.
For more information, visit High Acuity Care – Clinical Resources page, or email clinicalstandards@saskhealthauthority.ca. 📧 Contact 🌐 High Acuity Care - Clinical Resources | Phlebotomy performed by non-Laboratory Staff We are pleased to announce that as of October 7, 2026, CS-CP-0114-Phlebotomy Performed by non-Laboratory Staff is now effective and available for use.
Supporting documents include: - Phlebotomy Performed by Non-Laboratory Staff/Competency Checklist (SHA-0788)
- Laboratory Order of Blood Draw, Volume and Mixing Requirements Reference Guide Poster (CS-P-0086)
- Laboratory Medicine Venipuncture Training Learning Module (CS-LM-0119) found on MyConnection.
To learn more about implementing this new procedure, visit the Phlebotomy – Clinical Resources page or join the bi-weekly Scope Optimization Information Sessions through Pulse Point. 📧 Contact 🌐 Phlebotomy - Clinical Resources | CS-G-0468 Solution and Administration Set Change Guideline To align with manufacturer guidelines and based on Infusion therapy Standards of practice guidelines continuous administration sets are to be changed at least every 96 hours. Removal of days references removed in solution bag to allow consistent hours language throughout the document.
The document has been updated and is online in Peripheral Venous Access Clinical Resources. 📧 Contact 🌐 Peripheral Venous Access - Clinical Resources | COVID Flu clinical document update Starting October 13, 2026, publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are available to all individuals 6 months of age and older. The SHA and Ministry of Health COVID-19 and Influenza Immunization resources for vaccine providers have been updated and reposted for the 2026-2027 fall immunization campaign.
Refer to the updated Influenza Immunization Resources webpage for the following: Refer to the updated COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Healthcare Providers webpages for the following: The following resources have been archived: - CV-19 WS0070 Documentation and Reconciliation Process when Transporting Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna
- SHA 0118 Packing Temperature Control Log Form
- CV-19 G0140 Obtaining Informed Consent for COVID-19 Vaccine – Under Age 18 – the information has been added to CS-G-0113.
- COVID-19 Immunizer Updates have been archived and information will be contained in CS-G-0109-General-Immunizer-Updates
Refer to the updated COVID-19 and Influenza Resources for the following: Refer to the updated Ministry of Health Resources: - Influenza and COVID-19 fact sheets
- COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine
- COVID-19 Nuvaxovid Vaccine
- Influenza Vaccine
- Influenza Enhanced Vaccine
- Provincial Fall Immunization Resources for Vaccine Providers
- New webpage containing current policies, guidelines, standards, program information and general resources to support healthcare providers in delivering publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
- Resources on this page - vaccine management forms, documentation of vaccine administered forms, COVID-19 vaccine storage and handling summaries, COVID-19 Vaccine Labels.
- Provincial Fall Immunization Policy (PFIP) - All providers administering publicly funded influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are responsible for reviewing the PFIP and other relevant program resources.
- Saskatchewan Immunization Manual (SIM) Chapter 10:
- 2026-27 Publicly Funded COVID-19 Immunization Schedules
- Moderna Spikevax mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine
- Pfizer Comirnaty mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine
- Nuvaxovid Recombinant protein, Adjuvanted COVID-19 Vaccine
- Fluad Influenza Vaccine
- Fluviral Influenza Vaccine
- Fluzone Standard Dose
- Fluzone High Dose Influenza Vaccines
- The Ministry of Health Provincial Fall Immunization Program Bulletin is available.
| Events and Professional Development | Saskatoon City Hospital Pancake Breakfast | 📅October 8 🕑 7 - 9 a.m. 📍 Saskatoon, SK 🌐Poster | Lunch and Learn: Ebola and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers an overview and readiness update | 📅October 15, 2026 🕑 12 to 1 p.m. 📍Virtual 🌐 Register | Annual gastrointestinal (GI) Education Conference - CSGNA Regina | Canada West Health Leaders Conference | Community Screening - SEWÂTSIWIN: They Are Sacred | Saskatchewan Transfusion Symposium | Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation - Breast Health Centre Silent Auction | 📅October 26 - 30 🌐Poster - Donated items will be accepted until October 22 | SHEPP Retirement Ahead Information Sessions | Free online suicide prevention training 📅 On demand - 60 days to complete📍Virtual 📄 Learn more/Register | Privacy Training – Foundations in MyWork 📅 On demand 📍Virtual 📄 Learn more | LEAP Training Sessions 📅 October 20 and December 7📍Virtual 📄 Register | ECHO Autism SK - Supporting Mental Health Across the School Years 📅 October 27, November 10, 24, January 12, 26, February 9
📍Virtual 🌐 Register/Learn more | Continuing Medical Education - Webinars, Conferences, and Courses | TO PRINT AND POST: Just print this email. DO YOU HAVE A SUBMISSION? See our guidelines here. DID YOU MISS AN ISSUE? See our archives. | | | | |
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