YORKTON — With the 2025 harvest complete it’s a good time to look back on the legacy of Farming for Health.
Over the first five years of the project $1 million was raised.
“The committee set aside that money for a new regional hospital,” explained Health Foundation Executive Director Ross Fisher.
Since then the funds raised have been refocused with the Farming for Health committee having purchased $1.48 million of equipment that makes a difference in our local healthcare right away.
“We are fortunate that so many businesses and individuals donate time and product so that we keep our costs low,” said Fisher.
“The city donates the land, and the farm implement dealers seed and harvest the crop. Often farmers will also assist in seeding and usually harvest.
“Other costs like seed, herbicides and pesticides, chemical, fuel and trucking are donated. As is the equipment to seed and harvest.
“It is a substantial investment by the AG Community to make Farming for Health happen.”
Fisher said the support is critical in making the fundraiser successful.
“The only reason we can raise the amount of money we do, is because we have so few costs,” he said.
Farming for Health makes a significant difference in local healthcare. Here are some examples:
- They purchased anesthetic machines and a new laparoscopic surgical suite to add capacity to the Operating Room. The province has now provided funding for a fourth general surgeon.
- The Health Foundation has helped support additional surgical services – buying the equipment for an orthopedic surgeon to do procedures (scopes on shoulders and knees mainly). Brought in a cataract surgeon after seven-years without one (over 1,000 procedures annually).
- Purchased a new telemetry monitoring system for the ICU. Expanded the ICU by one bed – bought the required equipment and assisted with training nurses (one bed requires 10 new nurses to provide 24-hour coverage seven-days a week). Expanding the ICU that one bed meant the government funded another respiratory therapist for the hospital as well.
- Expanded capacity in the Emergency Room by purchasing new monitors so only one nurse is required to attend a patient being moved and worked on. They also purchased new stretcher beds so two can be put in a room, increasing ER capacity to 18 patients. Yorkton has an extremely busy ER, seeing roughly 20,000 patients annually, and the acuity of patients presenting is increasing.
- The Foundation has purchased several pieces of equipment for the lab over the last few years, modernizing the lab, increasing the range of tests that can be performed and the speed with which analysis can happen.
- They purchased equipment for the maternity ward that allowed our pediatricians to increase their range of service. New-born children with complications do not automatically have to be sent to Regina now.
This has done two main things, said Fisher.
“It improved and expanded the range of care that is available locally, and reduced the need to travel for health services,” he said, adding “we have increased the base of services in advance of planning for a new hospital.
“We expect this to be reflected in new hospital plans, so that the beds and services proposed are an increase over what we had a few years ago.”
Fisher also noted it isn’t just what Farming for Health directly purchases.
“Farming for Health has increased The Health Foundations capacity to respond to challenges in our local healthcare, it has allowed us to invest more in training for doctors, nurses and others; this helps retention of staff, and the care available,” he said.
“It has allowed the Foundation to plan better and to respond to challenges we see coming more efficiently.”
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