Summer opening planned for Regina Urgent Care Centre

After years of talking about it, the Saskatchewan government celebrated Tuesday the construction being finished on the new Regina Urgent Care Centre.

Many ministers, MLAs and community leaders were on hand at the announcement and ready to see inside the centre.

Equipment and furniture still needs to be moved in — all paid for by fundraising from the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, to the tune of about $2.4 million. The Kinsmen Foundation put up $305,250 to pay for the centre’s X-ray system.

Hiring of staff is also underway, according to Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Andrew Will. He said there will be 125 full-time jobs at the facility.

“We’re in the process right now of interviewing staff and making those appointments into positions. We’re moving that forward as quickly as we can so that we’re able to open this summer,” said Will.

He couldn’t say how many had been hired but said there had been lots of interest, and that nursing had been the initial priority.

Construction on the care centre began in 2022 and initially was expected to be completed in mid-2023. Will said he’s confident the centre will open this summer.

The urgent care centre is meant to fill a gap between a family doctor a person might have to wait day or two to see and an emergency room. It’s meant for situations that are urgent but aren’t life-threatening, like a deep cut or a broken bone.

“We think that will have a significant impact on helping to reduce some of the numbers and the wait times and frankly the volumes that are ending up in our emergency departments here in the city of Regina,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said at the event.

The centre will also have dedicated mental health and addictions services.

“It will tie in with the existing services that we have with mental health and addictions, and we’re expanding upon those services, creating more treatment spaces, hiring more mental health and addictions staff across the province, including here in the city of Regina,” said Hindley.

Mayor Sandra Masters says she’s grateful for the investment and pleased with the innovation of the newly built Regina Urgent Care Centre.(Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

The centre is to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will offer treatment of minor illnesses and injuries that require immediate attention.

Its services will include: Suturing, casting and the treatment of sprains; treatment of infections, fevers, flu symptoms, rashes and dehydration and mild to moderate asthma; basic diagnostic imaging and laboratory services; and mental health and addictions services.

The provincial government put $9.82 million in the 2024-25 budget for the operation of the centre and is to provide funding of $17.82 million annually for physicians, staffing and non-salary.

The initial cost of construction was pegged at about $15 million, but ended up at $18.7 million, according to Hindley.

Saskatoon’s urgent care centre

An urgent care centre was announced for Saskatoon at the same time Regina’s was, but the Saskatoon facility is still in the planning stages.

A location has been found and demolition is under way on some houses on the land, according to Will.

Hindley explained the difference in Saskatoon is that it’s being done in partnership with the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. Regina’s centre didn’t include any such partnership so it moved more quickly.

“In Saskatoon we’re working closely with Ahtahkakoop on what the urgent care centre looks like (and) what other sorts of supports would be available there,” said Hindley.

The minister said the government is trying to advance that project as quickly as they can, but he also said consultation is important and something to rush.

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