DATE: September 13, 2019

TO: SHA Executive Leadership Team, SHA Senior Leadership Team and Department of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry

FROM: Dr. Anna Felstrom, Division Head, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of
Saskatchewan
Corey Miller, Vice President, Provincial Programs, Saskatchewan Health Authority

RE: Concerns Regarding JPCH in the Media

We are writing to address concerns in the public and media about the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital
(JPCH).

On September 12, 2019, the Saskatoon Area Division of Child Psychiatry met with representatives from the
SHA Executive Leadership Team and JPCH Project Team. The safety concerns of the psychiatrists were
reviewed to ensure there was a shared understanding about the issues. Some of the concerns were already
being addressed.

This group will continue to work collaboratively together going forward and is confident we can mitigate the
outstanding issues in order to ensure safe, high quality care for children and youth presenting with mental
health concerns.

Given media attention to this issue, it is critical to clarify for parents and families that they should not be
afraid to seek treatment for their children at the new Children’s Hospital. Children and families will be
provided safe, high quality care.

Strengthening SHA’s working relationships with psychiatrists and all clinicians is a critical part of ensuring
the result of this process goes well beyond addressing concerns at JPCH to helping us work together to
transform our health system and enhance supports for children and youth with mental health challenges.

We know how hard the JPCH Project Team has been working to deal with all the change requests that have
come forward, and we would like to thank them for all of their hard work in this regard. Everyone is doing
their best to ensure the opening of the hospital is a success.

The SHA and the Saskatoon Area Division of Child Psychiatry wish to affirm their continuing commitment to
the values of safety, respect, collaboration, compassion and accountability, putting patients and families at
the heart of our approach to health care.

Version: August 2019 Memo | 1

Version: August 2019 Memo | 2