Saskatchewan Health Authority strengthens partnership with Surgical Centres Inc. to reduce wait times and expand access to care

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is renewing and expanding its partnership with Surgical Centres Inc. to enhance access to timely care for patients across the province. 

Saskatchewan’s surgical teams have achieved record breaking volumes in the past two years: performing over 95,700 surgeries in 2023-24 and surpassing this total in 2024-25, with over 100,400 surgeries. Of these, community partners like Surgical Centres Inc. completed over 16,700 publicly funded surgeries — accounting for approximately 18 per cent of all core procedures in 2024-25 — helping ensure patients receive the surgical care they needed, sooner.

“Continuing the successful partnership we’ve established with Surgical Centres Inc. is a win for Saskatchewan patients,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said.  “The publicly-funded, private surgical facilities operated by Surgical Centres Inc. perform thousands of routine day surgeries each year, freeing up high-demand hospital OR spaces for more complex procedures. We appreciate the staff, surgeons, anesthetists, nursing and support staff for their dedication and ability to work with our health system to improve quality of life for patients.”

Building on the last two years of success, the Saskatchewan Health Authority is now targeting 450,000 surgeries by the end of 2028. 

“Each surgery represents a life-changing – and at times, life-saving – moment in someone’s life,” said Andrew Will, CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. “That’s why Saskatchewan Health Authority is committed to advancing surgical services for the people of Saskatchewan by delivering timely, patient-centred care. By working together with partners like Surgical Centres Inc., we’re ensuring that more patients can access the procedures they need, when they need them, as close to home as possible.”

Through this renewed agreement, Surgical Centres Inc. will continue providing a wide range of day surgical procedures — including general surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, plastics and reconstructive surgery, ENT, pediatric dental/oral maxillofacial, urology, and vascular surgery. The expanded scope now includes gynecology, further broadening access to important surgical services for Saskatchewan patients.

Surgical Centres Inc. currently operates two centres – Prairieview Surgical Centre in Saskatoon and Regina Surgical Centre – and since 2012, has performed more than 181,000 procedures in partnership with the SHA.

“Since 2012, Surgical Centres Inc. has been providing publicly-funded surgical access and delivering high-quality, patient-centred care and as our partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority has grown, Surgical Centres Inc. has added capacity and is helping respond to provincial waitlists,” said Fatima Fazal, Regional Director of Operations and Innovation, Surgical Centres Inc.  “Our clinical teams remain focused on delivering safe, consistent, and compassionate care, ensuring patients receive the surgical care they need. Together, we remain committed to ensuring Saskatchewan residents receive the publicly funded surgical care they need, when they need it.”

This partnership, renewed through a transparent, competitive process, plays a vital role in increasing access to care, reducing waitlists, optimizing surgical capacity, and freeing up hospital operating rooms for more complex procedures for the benefit of Saskatchewan patients and families.