Interested in learning more? Give us a call or send us an email! We offer daily classroom training in Prince Albert & on-site. Info@a2zsafetyandtraining.ca www.a2zsafetyandtraining.ca 306-960-2881 or Toll Free 1-855-756-2884 103-1008 1st Ave West, Prince Albert, SK COMMUNITY LEADER patients to educate themselves on any necessary procedures to help them become successful trans- plant candidates. The new centre would provide a space to have patient-centred care where conversations can take place on how best to support them and have the health experiences and outcomes they want. The third pillar of the campaign reflects a deeply compassionate, patient-centred approach, recogniz- ing that care begins the moment a person arrives at the hospital. It em- phasizes attending not only to clini- cal needs, but also to the cultural, spiritual and relational dimensions of healing, particularly for those living with chronic disease and requiring acute care. To bring this vision to life, two foun- dational investments were estab- lished. The first is the Indigenous Healing Centre, Kikâwînaw wîki (Our Mother’s Home), a dedicated space designed to foster cultural safety, belonging and connection. Here, patients and families are welcomed into an environment that supports engagement with Elders and Tradi- tional Knowledge Keepers, creating opportunities for ceremony, reflec- tion and culturally grounded care alongside clinical treatment. The second investment is the Entry Way Assistant program, originally piloted to support patients receiv- ing dialysis. Many of these individu- als live with complex, intersecting conditions, such as kidney disease alongside diabetes, which can lead to vision loss, mobility challenges or limb differences, making it difficult to navigate a busy hospital environ- ment. The program provides guided, compassionate support from arrival through to care, ensuring patients experience dignity, safety and a sense of being known. Previously, patients often relied on family members or paid about $1,000 a month for private transportation, creating inequitable access, espe- cially since 43 per cent of the dialy- sis population lives at or below the poverty line. To remove this barrier, patient porters now escort individu- als from their front doors to appoint- ments, saving an estimated $330,000 annually during the pilot phase. By increasing patients’ sense of safety and belonging, the program improves attendance, supports roughly 50 patients daily, helps reduce comor- bidities, lowers overall care costs and enhances quality of life. Because of the remarkable suc- cess of the pilot phase, the program has transitioned into a permanent service for all patients arriving at the hospital for a pre-scheduled ap- pointment and are now referred to as “Front Entry Attendants.” St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation will fund the porters for an additional two years, after which St. Paul’s Hospital as a corporation will take over operations. The outcomes associated with the campaign benefit both patients and the broader universal health-care system. By investing in early pre- screening and prevention, we can help avoid the need for dialysis – one of the most intensive and costly forms of care, at approximately $80,000 per patient each year. This proactive strategy not only improves patient care but also saves resources that would otherwise be spent man- aging downstream complications, creating a more successful and sustainable system overall. Lecina Hicke, CEO of the St. Paul’s Hospital & Foundation, said that “the hope overall is that we learn, we strengthen partnerships, and we continue to advocate for better patient outcomes, patient-centred approaches to care and better out- comes for the system as well.” The campaign is currently nearing its original fundraising goal of $10 million, which will be used to build the Kidney Health Education Cen- tre, complete the pilot phase of the pre-screening program and posi- tion operations of the patient porter service. Following the campaign, St. Paul’s aims to scale these ef- forts by partnering with like-minded organizations and adopting these programs in additional communities. Currently, St. Paul’s Hospital Foun- dation is thrilled to officially begin the early phases of the construction project for the Kidney Health Educa- tion Centre. 24 Issue 1 – Summer 2026
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