New Nurse Practitioner clinic to open in Martensville, services to be expanded

Premier Scott Moe speaks at a news conference in Warman March 12

A new Nurse Practitioner health clinic is scheduled to open in Martensville in mid-April, one of a series of intiatives aimed at improving access to primary health care in the region, according to Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

The new clinic will be operated under the auspices of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), similar to a clinic in Warman which opened in August, 2023, as part of a provincial pilot program.

Health Minister Everett Hindley

At a news conference in Warman March 12, Moe and Saskatchewan Health Minister Everett Hindley announced several new initiatives to enhance and expand utilization of Nurse Practitioners throughout the health care system.

The province is creating 25 new Nurse Practitioner positions over the next year under the SHA, including in SHA clinics and as part of primary health care teams.

“Access to primary health care is a high priority for our government,” said Moe. “By creating more opportunities for Nurse Practitioners throughout the health care system, we can improve access to primary health care services for Saskatchewan patients and their families.”

Martensville-Warman MLA Terry Jenson

Moe said the government is also looking to expand areas of service for Nurse Practitioners,  including in settings other than primary health care.

In addition, the province intends to establish publicly-funded, privately-operated independent Nurse Practitioner clinics in communities across the province.

Hindley said additional details of the initiatives, including the cost of the new independent clinics, will be outlined in the provincial budget later this month. He added the government is looking at opening two new independent clinics later this year.

“We will be working very closely with the Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioners on what exactly the new model of clinics will look like,” said Hindley. “This new model will be different than the SHA clinics in Warman and Martensville. They will be independently operated but publicly funded. The goal is to expand accessibility to primary health care facilities for communities.”

Sask. Association of Nurse Practioners President Michelle O’Keefe

Michelle O’Keefe, President of the Saskatchewan Association of Nurse Practitioners, said the announcement will be welcomed by her members, because it opens up new opportunities for employment and training, while also increasing accessibility to a wider range of preventive health care services. She said the new independently-operated clinics will remove barriers to health care because patients will not have to pay out -of-pocket for Nurse Practitioner services.