A look back at SAHO's achievements:
In honour of its 15th anniversary, SAHO has published a book documenting achievements in service to its membership, advocacy, and provincial and national leadership.
Now available to
download pdf version
online.
Copies are available from SAHO for $14.95 plus GST and shipping costs.
Email:
info@saho.org
to request an order form.
Also available at Regina's Book & Brier Patch and the University of Saskatchewan Bookstore in Saskatoon.
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In 2008 SAHO celebrates its 15
th
anniversary.
In the 15 years since the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations was formed, the Association has been a flexible, innovative service provider, and a responsive leader and advocate.
SAHO Milestones
Merger of three provincial associations
SAHO was formed on July 1, 1993, through the amalgamation of three organizations: the Saskatchewan Health-Care Association (est. 1918), the Saskatchewan Association of Special Care Homes (est.1953), and the Saskatchewan Home Care Association (est. 1981).
Unique province-wide payroll/HR system
SAHO administers a unique payroll-human resources system that provides salary processing for 40,000 health care employees across the province.
The web-based system also provides members with on-line access to human resource data that helps with human resources planning and collective bargaining.
In addition, SAHO offers its members a province-wide automated staff scheduling system and an automated employee survey tool.
Service and leadership in human resources
On behalf of its members, SAHO negotiates and helps interpret Saskatchewan’s health care collective agreements.
We also have several programs aimed at improving retention and recruitment of health care workers.
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In 1999, we began a province-wide joint job evaluation project to implement, in partnership with unions, pay equity throughout Saskatchewan's health sector.
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In 2002, SAHO created the Market Supplement Program to help address retention and recruitment issues for hard-to-recruit professionals.
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In 2006, we announced a new compensation plan for out-of-scope employees to ensure more competitive salaries and to respond to concerns such as market lag, pay equity, salary compression, increasing senior retirements and the need to be competitive in a tight labour market.
Millions in savings through group purchasing
SAHO administers a group purchasing program that brings members price reductions on health care supplies and services of more than 40%.
In 2006/07, these province-wide savings totaled more than $69 million.
Commitment to Aboriginal representation
Since SAHO signed its partnership agreement with the Government of Saskatchewan in 1996, more than 21,000 health care workers in Saskatchewan have received Aboriginal awareness training, more than 2,400 Aboriginal employees have been hired, and strategies for improving training, recruitment and retention have been adopted throughout the province’s health sector.
Advocating for primary health care
SAHO has strongly advocated, through dialogue with government and formal submissions to provincial and national health care commissions, for continued support of the primary health care model.
Reduction in workplace injuries
SAHO introduced its unique Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR) program in 1999.
Along with our many other workplace health & safety consulting and education programs, TLR has helped foster a significant shift in thinking in Saskatchewan about the importance of keeping workers safe when moving clients.
90-year tradition: SAHO annual conference
SAHO’s annual conference is the largest gathering of health care leaders in the province, and provides top-notch education, leadership and networking opportunities to members.
The conference is a tradition that is 90 years old in 2008; the first was held in 1918 by Saskatchewan Hospital Association, one of our founding organizations.
Modernization of Nursing Information Systems Saskatchewan (NISS©)
SAHO’s made-in-Saskatchewan system for documenting patient/resident information and nursing workload is now used in 90 per cent of Saskatchewan health facilities and in six provinces and three territories. SAHO and Momentum Healthware are developing an automated version of the software.
Responsive educational programs
SAHO runs several cost-effective courses, events and programs, including the Professional Assault Response Training (PART) program, which has trained thousands of participants and close to 200 instructors.
SAHO also offers a Management Competencies for Health Care Personnel Program, and a Summer Extern Program that places Saskatchewan medical students into rural hospitals for four to 12 weeks each summer.
Low cost benefit plans
In 2000, SAHO added extended health and enhanced dental plans to its range of employee benefit plans, which includes dental and disability income plans and group life insurance.
SAHO’s benefit plans serve 110 member agencies, representing approximately 37,000 health care employees.
On December 31, 2002, SAHO's Retirement Plan became the Saskatchewan Healthcare Employees' Pension Plan (SHEPP). No longer governed by a board made up solely of employers, SHEPP’s board has equal numbers of employer and union representatives.
