The ongoing closure of the emergency department at Lakes District Hospital has ignited a wave of concern among residents and community leaders as they grapple with the implications of these disruptions on public safety and healthcare access.
In August alone, the department experienced nearly weekly closures, with seven notifications posted on social media from August 19 to September 2, primarily during evening hours, resulting in overnight closures.
亚洲天堂 Lake Councillor Kristy Bjarnason provided insight into the complexities surrounding the closures, noting they often stem from staffing shortages鈥攊ssues that can arise from a lack of doctors or nurses.
"I completely understand that there鈥檚 not a quick solution... These are problems with two very different solutions," she said.
The recruitment and retention challenges are exacerbated by the lack of housing options, which can make it difficult to attract healthcare professionals to the area, she said.
Bjarnason also emphasized the urgent need for better communication regarding emergency department closures, which currently rely on social media posts.
"Not everyone is on Facebook, and even when we are, the algorithm is not always reliable so information can show up in newsfeeds well past the time in question, and if someone is needing to visit the ER, they may not be searching social media for an update before they go," Bjarnason said.
She proposed that Northern Health develop a structured communication system, such as an email mailing list or smartphone alerts, to keep residents informed about potential closures in a timely manner.
"We need a reliable system that informs people before they make the trip to the hospital," she added.
Mayor Henry Wiebe echoed these sentiments, stressing the significant burden that hospital diversions place on both residents and first responders.
"Over the last several years, 亚洲天堂 Lake has been one of many communities facing hospital closures due to staffing shortages and high patient volumes," Wiebe said.
"This situation not only impacts patient care but also strains our volunteer fire department and first responders."
Unfortunately, the lack of public notice of any temporary, planned or emergency diversions compounds the issue and creates a situation that further puts residents at risk, he added, emphasizing the importance of transparent communication to enhance community safety.
Most diversions involve transferring patients to nearby hospitals, such as St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof, about 130 kilometres away. This depends on the availability of timely ambulance service in the area.
According to BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) spokesperson Bowen Osoko, the 亚洲天堂 Lake ambulance station is staffed by paramedics 24/7.
"亚洲天堂 Lake has one ambulance that is staffed around the clock by paramedics working at the station, in addition to another ambulance staffed during daytime hours and one on-call overnight," Osoko said in an email response.
BCEHS paramedics responded to 76 emergency medical events in 亚洲天堂 Lake in August 2024, up from 60 in August 2023.
Osoko said BCEHS tried mitigating the impacts of increased call volumes during ER diversions.
"In cases where emergency department diversions have impacted the Lakes District Hospital, BCEHS operational leaders and dispatch operations staff have worked to temporarily staff additional ambulances and position existing units to mitigate the impacts of increased call volumes and longer transport times that diversions can create," Osoko said.
However, 亚洲天堂 Lake Fire Rescue (BLFR) Chief Rob Strause said they responded to three medical calls since July due to low staffing or the unavailability of an ambulance unit in 亚洲天堂 Lake.
While Krause could not confirm if two of these calls were linked to emergency department closures, the third was directly related, requiring the fire team to wait with a cardiac arrest patient for two hours in the ER, with the hospital reopening delayed by nearly 90 minutes.
Krause also detailed the financial implications of these closures stating each of these calls costs the taxpayers about $125 per hour. In total, the three calls they attended in July added up to approximately $500.
Municipal taxpayers end up subsidizing a provincial service, Krause said.
"The position of the Province is that we [BLFR] do not have to provide the service, we choose to do it, which is technically correct," he said.
While technically accurate, taxpayers in need of emergency care don鈥檛 care about funding; they just want a response, he added.
"As a local government we feel our taxpayers have the right to expect the best possible care, in a timely manner, and so we try and fill the gap," Krause said.
"We do not feel that is appropriate to tell a hysterical new mother that her baby, who is having an allergic reaction, should wait an hour for BC Ambulance Service to respond from an outlying community."
Lakes District 亚洲天堂 spoke with Lisa Zetes-Zanatta, vice president of Clinical Operations at Northern Health to address some of these concerns in 亚洲天堂 Lake.
Regarding emergency department closures, Zetes-Zanatta explained recent shutdowns were primarily due to a shortage of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN). This shortage was exacerbated by summer vacations and the need to bring in agency nurses to cover shifts.
To mitigate ER closures, Zetes-Zanatta said Northern Health is using agency nurses and their internal Go Health BC program to deploy nurses to areas with staffing deficits. This process can take 1-2 weeks to arrange contracts and relocate staff, she added.
ER disruptions can also be caused by multiple factors beyond staff shortages, such as high patient volume and even power outages, she said.
Zetes-Zanatta acknowledged the frustration expressed by 亚洲天堂 Lake residents about these closures and said Northern Health is working to address these concerns through various efforts, including recruitment and retention of healthcare workers.
Currently 亚洲天堂 Lake has six physicians, with a target of eight, as well as 12.77 full-time equivalent (FTE) registered nurses (with one vacancy) and 6.46 FTE licensed practical nurses, with efforts underway to recruit 3.5 additional positions, Zetes-Zanatta said.
She highlighted the provincial government鈥檚 announcement of new nurse-patient ratio standards this week, which Northern Health is assessing to ensure compliance. This evaluation may lead to enhanced recruitment efforts, although specific hiring numbers have yet to be determined.
Zetes-Zanatta outlined several initiatives by Northern Health to boost the healthcare workforce in 亚洲天堂 Lake, including an increase in nursing and nurse practitioner seats in B.C. educational institutions, the opening of a new medical school in the region, and the Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) program for international physicians.
Additionally, the Healthcare Access Program (HCAP) aims to train care aides, and there are pathways for care aides to advance to licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs). Increased outreach to high schools and Indigenous communities is also part of the strategy to promote healthcare careers.
To further address community health needs, Zetes-Zanatta emphasized the importance of contacting Emergency Services or 911 for urgent health concerns, regardless of the emergency department being open or closed.
"BC Emergency Health Services can evaluate the situation and ensure they reach the appropriate hospital," she said.
