Northern Health has confirmed a total of three emergency department service interruptions as of April 3 at the Fort St. James Hospital since it opened in January, and says they are working to find solutions to prevent future disruptions.
"All three emergency department service interruptions were the result of staffing shortages," Northern Health told the Caledonia Courier in an email.
The last ER closure was overnight from Wednesday, March 26, from 4 p.m. until 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 27 due to staffing challenges, noted Northern Health in a Facebook post.
"Emergency department service interruptions are only ever a last resort, when all options to keep the ER open have been exhausted," Northen Health said, adding the Ministry of Health and Northern Health offer a range of incentives to help attract physicians to rural and northern communities.
Northern Health’s Emergency Department Stabilization Task Force is also working to identify innovative ways to reduce emergency department service interruptions, including Northern Health-specific recruitment incentives, expended use of GoHealthBC, agency and locum staff to fill vacant shifts and the exploration of virtual services to augment in-person staff.
