Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall said he appointed Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit as the new minister of rural and remote health largely because of his abilities to listen and lead.
First elected in 2007, Ottenbreit has held several non-cabinet positions, including legislative secretary on a community-based organizations review and a recycling initiative. He was also chair of the human services committee in the legislature.
He most recently served as government whip and was working on a soon-to-be-announced collector vehicle plate for the province.
Wall said through all of those roles Ottenbreit developed the capacity to listen well and take charge when needed.
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The premier noted that Yorkton is urban, but the Sunrise Health Region in which the city is located is rural.
“He has been a voice for rural health issues already, and obviously it will now be more formal,” Wall told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony.
He said there is work to do, particularly in the areas of partnerships to build long-term care facilities, wait time reduction and doctor recruitment.
More doctors and nurses are working in the province, and Wall said the government must make sure rural areas are being well served, too.
“He is the right person for this job,” Wall said.
One of Ottenbreit’s immediate tasks will be to continue former rural health minister Tim McMillan’s work on updating the Patient First initiative.
That initiative, which looked at patient-centred care, was undertaken in 2009, and Wall recently asked that it be reviewed to see what progress had been made.
Recommendations and further action will be released publicly, he said.
Ottenbreit said he sees some improvements, but there is still work to do. As an MLA, he has had extensive dealings with the Sunrise Health Region, he added.
