The CEO of the South Bruce Grey Health Centre says they are still working to try to resume 24 hour service at the Chesley Hospital Emergency Room.
CEO Michael Barrett says the ongoing shortage of healthcare staff means they will have to continue reduced hours from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
"Our goal is to get the Chesley emergency department operating again on a 24/7 basis,” says Michael Barrett, President and CEO. “A shortage of healthcare staff is driving this interim measure, and SBGHC is committed to keeping all four of our sites strong and viable. In Chesley, this commitment is evidenced by the $2.85M investment that was made in the facility earlier this year to replace the air handling equipment, install a full sprinkler system, and complete significant internal renovations in the ED and inpatient unit.”
The situation that SBGHC is facing is not unique. The Clinton site of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) implemented reduced operating hours for its Emergency Department in December 2019 due to a nursing staff shortage.
Barrett joined the CEO of the Huron Perth Health Care Alliance in a meeting with the Assistant Deputy Minister of Health to discuss the situation.
"We talked a lot about what's causing it. He wanted to know about what some of our solutions were. And he asked that we submit a proposal for funding which could be included in the provincial budget to support the reopening of those small emergency departments, "he explained.
"There is additional pressures on small hospitals around keeping emergency departments open 24/7. So we don't have a big education program, or big orientation staff available to do this. So we're doing a lot, People are doing multiple roles. So additional funding will certainly help," he added.
Recruitment and retention of RNs and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) is very challenging in rural communities. Nurses are required to develop a high degree of competency in a number of clinical domains and specialties, and new graduates can often be unprepared to work in a rural setting without significant orientation and mentorship.
In order to return to 24-hour ED service in Chesley, senior RNs with ED experience are required that are confident in their skills and abilities to safely operate the department during the overnight hours when there are limited staff in the building.
Chesley had to reduce operating hours in September of 2019, and has been working on recruitment and training to ensure proper staffing to resume 24-hour emergency services as soon as staffing resources are stabilized.
Since the implementation of reduced operating hours for the Chesley Emergency Department in September 2019, over 85% of the volume of patients that are typically seen in a 24-hour period have been seen .
