Every journey through the Hospital begins at the front door
The Hospital & Foundation are thrilled with the opening of the new front entrance at St. Paul’s Hospital. Since the new entrance officially opened on January 29 with cake for staff and visitors, there has been a noticeable sense of excitement throughout the Hospital as visitors and staff enjoy the new space.
Years in the making, this space reflects careful planning, thoughtful design, and the shared commitment of many hands and hearts. The new front entrance project was made possible thanks to the support of and cooperation between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and St. Paul’s Hospital & Foundation.
Front entrance features:
- Better traffic flow and more parking
- Healing Garden near the entrance
- Front entry attendants
- Improved wayfinding and a welcoming design
- Patient Registration relocation
- Kikâwînaw wîki Indigenous Healing Centre
- Patients and Family Secured Courtyard opening this spring
- Community Nook with bookable rooms
- Newly imagined Hospital & Foundation Good News Story Board
- The return of the Gift Shop in a new space and location
- More seating near Tim Hortons
Improved wayfinding & a welcoming design
From the moment you approach the Hospital grounds, the experience has been reshaped to support safety and improved wayfinding. Vehicle traffic now follows a single-direction loop to reduce congestion and support safer movement. The grounds have been improved with a covered drop-off area a gentler pedestrian incline, and three visitor parking areas, including 10 accessible spaces.
Inside, the space is bright, open, and intuitive, with themes of nature woven into the artwork and design. Throughout the entrance, you’ll notice the Hospital & Foundation’s refreshed brand, which brings these two organizations together, for good — for our patients, for our staff, and for our community. It’s not simply about new colours or words; it’s about growing together in our mission to be a community of health, hope, and compassion for all.
A calmer first point of contact
A new front entry attendant will greet patients with prescheduled appointments and ensure they feel welcomed and easily find their way through the Hospital. This program began as a donor-funded pilot project to support kidney health patients, and thanks to its success, it has expanded to be a permanent service available to all patients.
Patient Registration has relocated to the front entrance from the Emergency Department, creating a more welcoming and patient-centred arrival experience. The Visitor Information Desk brings together Information Services and Protective Services in one central location. This integrated presence supports a trauma-informed approach to safety — grounded in prevention, early awareness and respectful engagement — balancing the ideals of both safety and hospitality for our community and those we serve.
Community, culture and connection
Just past Visitor Information is the Community Nook featuring bookable rooms that offer privacy for patients who need extra support from community agencies in moments of transition, whether arriving for care, preparing for discharge, or navigating complex personal circumstances.
To the left upon entering, the Patient and Family Secured Courtyard will be an outdoor sanctuary for registered patients where they can get fresh air and sunlight. Anchored by the Sacred Heart statue, the garden will grant the opportunity to pause and breathe. The garden will open this spring.
Nearby, the new Indigenous Healing Centre reflects our commitment to truth and reconciliation, and to providing culturally grounded, holistic care. Called Kikâwînaw wîki, meaning Our Mother’s Home, the centre was developed in collaboration with First Nations and Métis Health and guided by Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
- Indigenous Healing Centre calls us to walk together with open hearts
Gratitude in action
The new Donor Recognition Alcove near the Gift Shop celebrates our many donors and shares the impact of their generosity throughout the Hospital and celebrates the importance of initiatives unique to St. Paul’s. This shared display reflects the integrated partnership between the Hospital & Foundation. A calm corner of the front entrance, the space features large windows that look out onto the new Healing Garden and the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, which has been with the Hospital for more than 100 years.
The Hospital & Foundation Gift Shop, located near Tim Hortons, is another example of generosity in action. Operated by the Foundation, it provides essential items and small comforts for patients and families. Proceeds support professional development for staff, reinvesting directly into the people who deliver care each day.
The heart of our mission
Rooted in the Catholic tradition of the Grey Nuns, the Mission Office is unique to St. Paul’s. With offices located at the front entrance, the Mission Office works alongside clinical and operational teams to support patients, families, and staff to ensure care is delivered with integrity, compassion, and respect for diverse beliefs, values, and experiences.
The Mission Office provides ethics consultation for complex decisions, spiritual care across faiths and beliefs, and the Healing Arts, which brings patients music therapy, art therapy and a writer in residence. The important work done through the Mission Office is all made possible through the generous support of donors and community partners.
Health care is not only about treatment. It is about dignity. It is about relationships. It is about the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.
The opening of this new front entrance is a milestone shaped by partnership, stewardship and shared purpose. It reflects who we are becoming together: A community of health, hope, and compassion for all.