All Saskatchewan health region CEOs and Vice-Presidents have been offered "Separation Packages" by the provincial government.

In January we learned that the 12 regional health authorities would dissolve in favour of a single authority to manage the entire provincial healthcare system. Since that time the government has been posting weekly updates from their transition team.

Contained in last week's update was the statement that the Ministry of Health has offered "a voluntary separation package to Regional Health Authority CEOs and Vice Presidents for their consideration."

"Given where we're at in the process we felt that by providing this type of package..it would take into consideration what their personal circumstances are," said Assistant Deputy Minister Tracey Smith. "We've asked for them to respond by early March."

Smith added it is "too early" in the process to give any information about how the single health authority board will be structured, or where the head office would be located. Recently, Moose Jaw mayor Fraser Tolmie indicated he would be lobbying the provincial government for that head office to be located in Moose Jaw.

Initial provincial government estimates peg the projected savings by moving to a single health authority between $10-20 million by 2018-19.