Latest Update

As a result of the meeting on August 12, SAC-Saskatchewan was able to clarify directly with UBC that the WBC issue preventing UBC students from taking placements in Saskatchewan has been resolved. This resolution is especially important for Saskatchewan audiologists, given the limited number of training programs available in Canada.

To address the insurance requirement, UBC has partnered with Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Through this agreement, UBC students can enroll in a micro-credential course aligned with their clinical externship in Saskatchewan, which provides them with the necessary WCB insurance.

If you are an audiologist and would like to host a UBC student for a clinical placement, please email UBC Audiology Clinical Coordinator Sasha Brown at sasha.brown@audiospeech.ubc.ca.

If you are an S-LP and would like to take a UBC student on a clinical placement, please reach out to Marcia Choi at marciac@audiospeech.ubc.ca. Many thanks to SAC member and audiologist Charlotte Douglas for working with UBC and Saskatchewan Polytechnic to resolve this issue.

Previous Update

According to recent Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) data, Saskatchewan has the lowest number of audiologists per capita among all Canadian provinces at 3.7 per 100,000. Many public health audiology positions are vacant, with some having gone unfilled for several years. Additionally, there are many audiologists at or near retirement age, indicating that the time to address this issue is now. The shortage of audiology positions not only affects patient care but also acts as a bottleneck, preventing the advancement of public health programs, such as the creation and administration of a comprehensive Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program and the expansion of hearing aid coverage for children and adults over the age of 65.  

On August 12, Jennifer Cameron-Turley, Provincial Advocacy Manager for Saskatchewan, Bonnie Cooke, Director of Audiology at SAC, and Halen Panchyk, audiologist at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina, virtually met with Deborah Moynes-Keshen, Executive Director of the Healthcare Human Resources Branch at the Ministry of Health and Shelley Lofstrom, Executive Director Workforce Planning and Employment Strategies at the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Together, they strategized on how to boost engagement with audiology graduate programs across provinces, with a focus on supporting students completing placements in Saskatchewan. Recruitment and retention strategies that would benefit audiologists across the province were also discussed. This meeting furthers two of SAC-Saskatchewan’s provincial advocacy goals: recruitment and retention, and enhanced access and funding.  

Do you have lived experience of how the lack of audiologists directly affects the hearing health of Saskatchewan residents? Email SAC Advocacy at advocacy@sac-oac.ca.