New chemotherapy space opens in Yorkton, cutting travel for patients

People receiving chemotherapy in Yorkton now have a new treatment space at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, which the Saskatchewan Health Authority says was designed with input from its nursing team and is bright, spacious and includes privacy screens for patients who want them.¹

The health authority said patients previously received treatment in chairs set up in former hospital rooms. The authority said the rooms were small and could not be renovated into an open treatment area, and that staff did what they could to make patients comfortable.¹

Yorkton is one of 16 locations for the Community Oncology Programs of Saskatchewan, which the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and the Saskatchewan Health Authority deliver in partnership, the authority said.¹

Pam Kresowaty, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2024, told the health authority that travelling to Saskatoon for treatment would have meant a five-hour round trip, while receiving care in Yorkton cut that to about two hours. She now volunteers in the hospital gift shop and has seen how cancer care has changed with the new space, the authority said.¹

What staff and patients say

I had one patient lean over the desk and say, 'we feel so special to be able to be here.'¹Elyse Thomas, registered nurse with the Saskatchewan Health Authority

The health authority said staff have found patients are more relaxed in the new environment, and some are even able to rest or sleep during treatment. It also said the space has helped reduce wait lists, allowing more patients to receive treatment closer to home.¹

The project was made possible by the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan, community members and donors, and fundraising was completed in less than a year, according to the authority.¹

This is an example of what people in communities can do if they decide that they want to do something to improve some of the care that they have.¹Ross Fisher, executive director of the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan

The authority did not say how many patients the space can treat, when it opened, what it cost or how much was raised.¹