The Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health is hosting another virtual lecture series meeting.
Research Assistant, Sage Milne, says this time around, the topic revolves around rural emergency departments.
"This particular lecture is going to be busting some myths that keep coming back to life. A lot of communities, including urban ones, have been experiencing long wait times in ERs, and some ideas are presented that might not necessarily be trie as to why," Milne stated.
Dr. Ken Milne, emergency physician, Gateway Centre Research Chair of Rural Medicine and associate professor at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, will lead the discussion and dispel myths about rural emergency departments and what stresses are being experienced in them.
The session is free to attend and is this afternoon (April 1) from noon until 1 p.m.
Milne says there are many common misconceptions, including bed availability, when it comes to rural ERs. The lecture, titled "Zombie Ideas in the Emergency Department", will aim to correct some of those misconceptions.
"There's often a concern regarding the number of beds that exist within departments and how that impacts wait times. It's a little bit more of a workforce issue, for attracting and retaining (healthcare) workers in rural communities," Milne pointed out.
That will be just one of the many topics and ideas that Dr. Ken Milne will address, alongside guest speaker Dr. Kay Dingwell, who brings a perspective as a rural physician from the island of PEI, frequently working in emergency departments.
Another common issue that does affect the healthcare landscape in many rural ares is the fact that there often tends to be an older population in those regions.
"So that means that there are a lot more healthcare needs within rural areas. The other thing is that some of the plans that we come up with are urban-based models that are then exported out to rural centres, and that can cause some conflicts," added Milne.
To join this webinar and future sessions in the series, visit the Gateway CERH website: