History of the Health Information Network

In the early 1990's the evolution of Saskatchewan's health system resulted in the development of 32 health districts. During that time, it was recognized that information technology (IT) was required to support the newly formed health districts. As a result Saskatchewan Health and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) embarked on an extensive information technology planning process, which would identify the information needs of the health districts. This plan, which was completed in May 1995, identified a need for an electronic provincial health network and electronic patient information available to the patient's health providers.

In August 1997 then Minister of Health Clay Serby announced the creation of a Treasury Board Crown Corporation called the Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN). It was further announced that a Board of Directors would oversee SHIN. The Board included representatives from a cross section of the health sector and community.

In August of 2003 SHIN was integrated into a newly formed centre at Saskatchewan Health. The Health Information Solutions Centre (HISC) was designed to ensure a strong, cohesive, streamlined and comprehensive approach to information technology support and service delivery across the province's health sector by linking the work done by Saskatchewan Health and the health regions with information technology solutions. The Saskatchewan Health Information Network now exists as an agency of the Health Information Solutions Centre at Saskatchewan Health.

SHIN staff, services, project functions, network, data centre and hosting environment and Corporate Information and Technology branch staff and projects were integrated into the new Centre (HISC). The work, which was underway at SHIN was transferred to the new centre and has continued and expanded to include a broader spectrum of health IT delivery services.