June 11, 2026

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Estimated read time: four minutes

In this issue:

Remembering Irene Dubé

SHA CARES - Living our Values

Folk Fest brings global flavours to long-term care
Rooted in community: Giving back to where it all began

Recognition and Appreciation

SHA horticultural volunteers make green spaces shine
Saskatchewan Stroke Awareness Day events

Staff Information

NEW: Medication Audits for Primary Health Care Teams
New AI Agent Now Available for Attendance Support
Access to Webex recordings expires August 31, 2026
Staff Safety Talk - Wildfire Emergency Kit
New and Revised Gastrointestinal Outbreak Management Resources
Belonging, Diversity and Inclusion (BDI) Toolkits
NEW: Module - Unconscious Bias and Intersectionality Understanding

Notice Board

Sessions for Home Care Staff: Client Intake (Home Care Referral Management Module)
Advancing Cultural Safety Together
NEW: June Ethics Exchange: Violence Alert - Handle with Care
Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP)
June QI Power Hour - Measuring Progress in Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility
SHEPP Pension Information Webinar
Belonging, Diversity, and Inclusion - Microaggressions vs. Microaffirmations
Library Lunch and Learns
Continuing Medical Education

The Saskatchewan Health Authority offers its heartfelt condolences to Irene Dubé’s family and loved ones on her passing.

Irene will be remembered as a beloved matriarch, known for her kind heart, grace and deep commitment to helping others.

Together with her late husband, Les, Irene’s remarkable philanthropic contributions helped transform health care across our province — supporting advancements in children’s health, health sciences education, mental health care and patient care.

Irene’s legacy will continue to be felt in our facilities and the communities we serve for many years to come.

We join you in reflecting on her contributions and extend our thoughts to all who knew and loved her.

SHA CARES - Living our Values

Residents at The Meadows long-term care home in Swift Current celebrated cultures from around the world during its annual Folk Fest on April 15.

🌐View full CARES story

For Teyana Englund, St. Joseph's Integrated Care Centre in Lestock is more than a workplace. It’s part of her history.

▶️ Watch CARES video 🌐View full CARES story

Recognition and Appreciation

SHA horticultural volunteers make green spaces shine

Career and Work Exploration students have acted as horticultural volunteers at the Meadows long-term care home in Swift Current. Above, youth horticulture volunteers Brooklyn Heard and Ashlyn Pettigrew work with staff member Kayla Hughes at The Meadows long-term care home in Swift Current.

Horticultural volunteers work independently and alongside residents and staff to nurture welcoming green spaces across SHA in acute and continuing care facilities.
These spaces bring moments of joy, relaxation, and connection that enrich the care experience for residents, patients, clients, families, visitors, and staff.

"I appreciate the beautiful space to step away from work to enjoy the beauty, warmth and quiet of the outdoors,” said one member of staff of Humboldt District Hospital.
When volunteers and residents garden together, it encourages gentle movement, social connection, and meaningful engagement. It also offers residents a sense of purpose and pride as they watch their gardens grow and flowers bloom. Gardening can spark memories, inspire conversation, and provide a calming, therapeutic environment.

Thank you to all of the horticultural volunteers who help transform ordinary spaces into thriving gardens that bring colour, life, and community into healthcare environments across Saskatchewan.

Members of The Meadows Auxiliary - Eunice, Eleanore and Betsy – work in one of the garden boxes at the Swift Current long-term care home.

June is Stroke Month! Did you know that an estimated 3,200 Saskatchewan residents have a stroke each year? With Saskatchewan Stroke Awareness Day on June 17, several events are being hosted to raise awareness across the province. For more information and resources, see the link below.

🌐Patient and staff resources

Staff Information

NEW: Medication Audits for Primary Health Care Teams

To meet accreditation ROPs related to medication management in Primary Health Care, there is now a REQUIRED AUDIT focusing on Do Not Use Abbreviations and Medication Orders.

This is for all areas under Primary Health Care (Home Care, Ambulatory Care, SHA owned and operated Medical Clinics, EMS, MHAS) and are to be completed annually and submitted to PHC-MUSIC.

Further details are found in the coinciding Work Standard.

Please direct any questions to SHAMUSICPrimaryHealthCare@saskhealthauthority.ca.

New AI Agent Now Available for Attendance Support

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new AI Agent designed to make it easier to access information and support related to attendance.

Available through the Now Assist bar in MyConnection, this internally developed tool can help you understand attendance processes, locate the right resources, and answer questions about available supports and policy guidelines.

Unlike traditional step-by-step guides, the AI Agent is designed to support a wide range of questions—from general inquiries such as “Where do I start?” to more specific situations that may not be covered in existing documentation.

No training is required. Simply type your question in plain language and the AI Agent will help guide you to the next steps.

The tool will continue to evolve as we learn more about the information users need most.

Questions or feedback? Contact MyConnection@saskhealthauthority.ca.

Access to Webex recordings expires August 31, 2026

Effective August 31, 2026, Webex video recordings will no longer be accessible, following completion of the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s transition to Microsoft Teams. Webex video links posted on the SHA intranet or public website will also break on August 31, 2026.

If you have recordings such as committee meetings, presentations or workshops that are stored only on Webex, the following actions are required to prevent loss of access and broken video links:

Download any recordings that must be kept before August 31, 2026.
Transfer the downloaded files to your department’s shared drive or SharePoint Online site.

If you need more storage space or do not have a department SharePoint Online site, request support from eHealth Saskatchewan or submit a ticket via the eHS Service Desk.

If you have Webex recording links posted on the SHA intranet or public website:

Determine if they are still needed or if they can be deleted from the site.
Download recordings to your department’s shared drive or SharePoint Online site.
Work with your team’s website content editors to update or remove links.

Questions about migrating Webex video recordings can be directed to ServiceDesk@eHealthsask.ca.

Staff Safety Talk - Wildfire Emergency Kit

Being prepared can make a difference during an emergency. Saskatchewan's wildfire season runs from April to October, highlighting the importance of planning ahead for unexpected events. Emergency preparedness isn't just for health-care facilities, it's something everyone can practice at home.

Read and post our Staff Safety Talk to create or refresh your emergency kit and ensure you're ready when an emergency occurs.

📄 Safety Talk

New and Revised Gastrointestinal Outbreak Management Resources

IPAC has developed/revised the following outbreak management documents for acute care facilities:

NEW

Gastrointestinal (GI) Outbreak Management Guidelines for Acute Care Facilities
Debrief Meeting Template

REVISED

Outbreak Preparedness and Prevention Checklist for Acute Care Facilities
GI Outbreak Patient/Resident Line List
GI Outbreak Staff Line List
Outbreak Notification Poster
GI Outbreak Notification Memo - Acute Care

All documents can be found on the IPAC intranet site under the Outbreak tab.

🌐 Outbreak IPAC Resources

Belonging, Diversity and Inclusion (BDI) Toolkits

The Belonging, Diversity and Inclusion (BDI) Toolkits are valuable resources designed to support Saskatchewan Health Authority staff in building inclusive, respectful, and equitable workplaces. The toolkits provide practical information, learning resources, conversation guides, and actionable strategies that help employees and leaders increase awareness, develop cultural competence, address barriers to inclusion, and foster a stronger sense of belonging for all. By offering tools that can be applied in everyday interactions, team discussions, recruitment practices, and workplace decision-making, the toolkits support SHA’s commitment to creating a culture where diverse perspectives are valued, respected, and reflected in the delivery of safe, high-quality care. The resources align with SHA’s Belonging, Diversity and Inclusion Framework and SHA CARES values, helping staff contribute to a workplace where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

🌐 BDI Toolkits

New: Module - Unconscious Bias and Intersectionality Understanding

Unconscious Bias and Intersectionality Understanding unconscious bias and intersectionality is an important step in creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and included. This self-paced learning module explores how unconscious biases—automatic assumptions and judgments we make without awareness—can influence our decisions, interactions, and workplace experiences. The course also introduces the concept of intersectionality, recognizing that individuals hold multiple identities that can shape how they experience opportunities, barriers, inclusion, and discrimination. Through practical examples and reflection activities, learners will gain a deeper understanding of how bias and intersecting identities impact patients, families, communities, colleagues, and workplace culture. By increasing awareness and building inclusive practices, this learning supports the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s commitment to Belonging, Diversity and Inclusion, cultural humility, equity, and the delivery of safe, respectful, person-centred care. Staff will leave with strategies to recognize bias, challenge assumptions, and foster a more inclusive environment for everyone.

Access the Unconscious Bias and Intersectionality module through MyConnection > MyLearning

🌐 Access MyLearning