Diane Christenson is a staff scheduler, a role she moved into in June, after medical reasons left her unable to carry on with her work as a Continuing Care Assistant (CCA).  “I liked everything about being a CCA,” she said. “I loved it. I absolutely loved it. I liked working with the elderly, I like working with intellectually disabled people in the group homes. I was working with people and making a difference. That’s a big thing. It’s a very rewarding job.”

Throughout the pandemic, the Moe government has shown its reluctance to listen to medical experts to enact public health measures in a timely way. This mishandling has directly contributed to today’s current backlog of surgeries. CUPE Local 5430 is concerned about the backlog for surgical procedures and diagnostic services, but improvements can and must be made within our public and universal health care system.

“Contracting out surgeries is not a magic silver bullet for wait times. There is a limited pool of health care staff, and privatization of more health care services will pull medical staff away from the public system,” said Bashir Jalloh, president of CUPE Local 5430. This decision will only worsen our recruitment and retention challenges.

Saskatchewan’s health care providers are the backbone of our health care system – but many classifications are overlooked. CUPE Local 5430 has launched a member profile campaign to highlight the important work our members do – and the challenges they face in the workplace. 

Selena Heglund – Unit Clerk

Selena Heglund is a Unit Clerk and Operating Room scheduler in Estevan. In her role at the hospital, she is responsible for scheduling a wide range of procedures, and making sure patients are fully prepared for their appointments. She books operating rooms, outpatient procedures, endoscopies, the mobile cardiac care unit, chronic kidney disease clinics and chemotherapy appointments.