DECREASED SHR FUNDING FOR OUTPATIENT PHYSIOTHERAPY IN

The Saskatoon Health Region (SHR) contracted Smithwick's Physiotherapy to provide outpatient physiotherapy services to clients in Saskatoon for many years. The number of patients provided this service was 1440 annually, the equivalent of 2.5 Physiotherapists. The demand for the funded appointments exceeded the contract allocation, thus a wait list of 12 weeks was expected at the completion of the contract in March 2017. The contract allowed for one assessment and three visits per client annually. News was recently received that the SHR would not be renewing the contract at the end of March due to the SHR's recent financial sustainability plan and the need to decrease their spending going forward. Smithwick's Physiotherapy will continue to offer private payer and third party insurer services that they have always provided. This decision has left a huge void in our community for outpatient physiotherapy services, especially in a demographic that economically demonstrated the most need.

The Physiotherapy Association and other providers are seeing an increase in inquiries about how to access funded physiotherapy services in Saskatoon. There are Saskatchewan Health insured outpatient services available at the following sites funded through Saskatoon Health Region:

Royal University Hospital provides outpatient physiotherapy services prioritizing more urgent needs such as post-surgical patients, acute injury, patients with lymphedema and pediatric patients for whom the long term impact would be significant if treatment is delayed. At this time Priority 1 wait time is 2-3 weeks. For chronic conditions, such as low back pain, the wait time is approximately 3-4 months.

There are urban and rural community therapy services that provide home visits.

Saskatoon City Hospital Rehab Day Services includes physiotherapy as part of a multidisciplinary team for adult patients with neurological or complex musculoskeletal conditions including but not limited to: amputation, stroke, spinal cord injury, acquired brain Injury, and multiple sclerosis.

Saskatoon City Hospital Central Therapies Outpatient Department: the primary mandate of the department is to support the provincial surgical hip and knee pathway. The secondary mandate is to support local post-operative orthopedic patients including those with post-op shoulder, knee, hip, and ankle surgeries and repairs.

More information is available at: https://www.saskatoonhealthregion.ca/locations_services/Services/Physical- Therapy/Pages/SHR-Physical-Therapy-Services.aspx Saskatoon Community Clinic provides services to current patients within their health care co- operative. http://www.saskatooncommunityclinic.ca/newpatients.htm

SWITCH (Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health) provides outpatient physiotherapy services approximately 1 evening per week. This could be increased with additional PT mentors being available. More information is available at: http://switchclinic.com

Other centers including Regina and North Battleford have limited physiotherapy services funded through their health regions. SPA is hoping that these contracts can stay intact if not expanded given the strong need.

Losing the SHR funded services at Smithwick’s Physiotherapy will cause a huge void and access gap in Saskatoon. The SPA will continue to advocate for the availability of funded physiotherapy services.

Advocacy for access to care for those that cannot afford to pay for services and do not have access to insurance funding was identified by the SPA Board as a key priority for the association. SPA facilitated a pilot project for services at the Lighthouse in 2015 in partnership with CBI. There have been numerous meetings with government associated with adding physiotherapy services to the range of services that patients that are receiving social services benefits can access which are funded by the Ministry of Social Services.