Dr. Alexander Watts, Lifebridge Health Center, Saskatoon

The $10-million Innovation Fund was negotiated as a key component of the 2022-26 agreement. Twenty‑eight medical clinics across Saskatchewan have received support from the Innovation Fund to better meet the needs of their patients and communities. These projects are helping clinics add team members, improve care, and build stronger, physician-led, team‑based care.

The Saskatchewan Medical Association is profiling individual physicians whose Innovation Fund project ideas are leading change in family medicine in Saskatchewan. Featured is Dr. Alexander Watts of Lifebridge Health Center of Saskatoon.

Lifebridge Health Center’s Innovation Fund project lead, Dr. Alexander Watts, aims to strengthen whole‑person, team‑based care by introducing a Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner (SCP) into the clinic.

Simon Lasair, the SCP, will help physicians by offering more comprehensive support — particularly for the emotional and spiritual needs of patients — while also improving workflow and access.

“It is very difficult for physicians to take care of patients’ emotional or spiritual needs, which can have concrete impacts on a patient’s overall wellbeing. Many patients receiving difficult or life‑altering diagnoses need time and support to process their experiences. Lifebridge physicians see the demand clearly, but with full patient panels and walk‑in responsibilities, they cannot meet that need alone.”

The proposed SCP is trained to function within an interdisciplinary team and can:

• Improve patients’ mental health and social outcomes.
• Alleviate some of the burden of care from physicians.
• Strengthen referrals to community resources.
• Support Lifebridge’s transition toward the Patient’s Medical Home (PMH) model.

Dr. Watts says this is a meaningful step in patient‑centred care.

“Addressing a patient’s emotional, spiritual, religious, cultural, or existential concerns might affect their outlook toward chronic disease, significant diagnoses, or any major life transitions.”

Lifebridge serves many vulnerable or high‑needs patients, including newcomers, individuals with chronic conditions, and those experiencing distress during major life transitions. Emotional and spiritual needs often surface during these periods, but access to no-cost culturally sensitive support can be limited.

By having the SCP on site two days per week, physicians can refer patients in real time. The SCP will also streamline referrals to external agencies. Over time, improved support is expected to strengthen patient trust, improve health outcomes, and reduce the number of follow-up medical appointments used solely to process emotional or spiritual implications of diagnoses.

“The clinic’s mission is ‘to empower people to live life to the fullest,’ and its vision is to partner with patients in achieving long‑term wellbeing. The team sees this project as a natural extension of those commitments.”

The Lifebridge team believes the Innovation Fund allows clinics to identify what they truly need and remove barriers to implementing meaningful change. As the project description notes, the clinic’s initiative “will leave a blueprint that can be built upon in future years,” potentially informing similar models across the province.