Story Posted: 2025-08-13
Building a Stronger Support System: St. Paul’s Hospital and Prairie Hospice Society
From the St. Paul’s Hospital and Foundation 2024-2025 Annual Review
Prairie Hospice Society, St. Paul’s Hospital, and St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation are coming together to address a shared goal — bridging the gaps in palliative care in Saskatoon.
Prairie Hospice Society, a nonprofit founded in 2011, is dedicated to supporting individuals with life-limiting illness to maintain quality of life. Prairie Hospice volunteers support these individuals wherever they call home. Volunteers offer consistent one-on-one companionship, assistance with daily tasks, outings, transportation, and a holistic approach to palliative care.
Kristi Chisholm, the Executive Director of Prairie Hospice Society, explains, “Volunteers will go wherever the individual calls their home, whether it be long-term care, the Hospital, the Hospice at Glengarda, their own private home, a care home; whatever that looks like. And we move with them through their journey.” Prairie Hospice Society does not provide medical care that patients would access through the health care system, but rather offers emotional and practical support that extends into individuals’ homes. For these comprehensively trained volunteers, this could look like facilitating conversations, providing transportation, and engaging in activities like walks, outings, games, and gardening to help individuals stay connected and engaged and reduce isolation.
Prairie Hospice Society helps individuals maintain their autonomy and navigate their next steps if they feel they can no longer manage at home. Kristi highlights the importance of helping people explore options, including additional home supports or transitioning to a facility like St. Paul’s Hospital Palliative Care Unit or the Hospice at Glengarda when that is best. This approach empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their care and supports them through conversations with medical staff when that additional layer of support is helpful.
Lecina Hicke, CEO of St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, explains that Prairie Hospice Society and St. Paul’s share a common holistic, human-centric approach to supporting people as they face life-limiting illness. “When we look at that pathway of people and their families that are being supported by Prairie Hospice Society, and the potential intersection of those individuals with our Hospital’s Palliative Care Unit or the Hospice at Glengarda, we acknowledge that we have the opportunity to leverage our respective strengths and project more support for our community through this partnership,” Lecina shares. “If we can align our resources, that means we have more opportunity to serve more people facing that circumstance in a dignified way.”
For each organization, quality care for those with life-limiting illness means living well, not just facing end of life. Together, they intend to focus on the emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs of individuals and their families, ensuring they direct their own journey with dignity. The partnership is a powerful collaboration aimed at creating a more compassionate and integrated system of palliative care, ensuring that everyone has the support they need throughout their unique journey.