SHA says about 500 Sask. healthcare workers reported payment concerns every two weeks

The Administration Information Management System (AIMS), which includes payroll management for healthcare workers, has been in development for the past six years. Initially budgeted at $80 million, the cost has ballooned to $203 million, with a flawed launch in 2022 that has drawn criticism.

Andrew Will, CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), acknowledged the challenges faced during the development of AIMS, particularly with the initial rollout.

"I'll certainly acknowledge that the collective partnership, you know, we've seen challenges as we've gone forward with the project. Our first go-live, you may know, was not successful. An incredible amount of improvements have been made since then, and I'm pleased to see where we are today. But I would also acknowledge there is still improvement work to be done," Will said.

Despite the improvements, the June 2024 rollout of AIMS faced backlash from both the NDP and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses due to bugs and issues that caused some staff members to be underpaid.

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Will said approximately one per cent of the 50,000 payments processed every two weeks—about 500 people—have reported payment concerns, a figure similar to the previous system.

The SHA defended the need for AIMS, emphasizing that the old system, which was over 50 years old, posed significant risks.

"Our previous state was extremely risky. We had more than 80 systems, and our payroll system was 50 years old. It was in a programming language that they don't even train people on in today's world," Will explained.

AIMS has not yet been fully implemented. The software company 3S Health, responsible for developing the system, is currently working on fixing the bugs and plans to roll out the remaining features in phases.

"Our focus is on stabilizing phase one. Once it's stabilized, we will come back to exactly what the plan is for the future waves, but we know that those are critically important, and we think there are some exciting features in there for employees," said Mark Anderson the CEO of 3S Health.

Despite the setbacks, the SHA remains confident that once fully implemented, AIMS will simplify administration for the healthcare system.