Expanded locum coverage will allow the Fort St. James Emergency Room to be open for seven days during the remainder of October, due to locum coverage for three extra days.
The dates the emergency room will be open are as follows:
October 16-21
October 29-30
Due to challenges securing further locum coverage, the emergency room coverage will experience temporary closures for the dates not listed above. Northern Health will provide updates should the status change.
Northern Health has secured additional coverage for the clinic with a Nurse Practitioner and locum physicians. The Nurse Practitioner will be at the Nak’azdli Health Centre on October 25, and at the Fort St. James Medical Clinic on October 19. Locum physicians will be at the clinic on October 26.
Besides the dates listed above, the Fort St. James Medical Clinic remains open. Please note the following:
· Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
o Closed from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
· Appointments can be booked by calling 250-996-8291.
o Only same day appointments will be booked.
· The clinic is closed on statutory holidays.
The Stuart Lake Hospital emergency room is the only department affected by these closures. The rest of the hospital will remain open and patients will not be impacted. Lab and X-ray at Stuart Lake Hospital are still operating as normal. Patients can continue to use these services.
If necessary, acute care patients will be discharged or transferred to another facility based on their care needs. Northern Health is also working with the BC Ambulance Service to manage emergencies during these periods.
Individuals who require emergency attention can call 9-1-1 for transport to the next open emergency department in Vanderhoof or Prince George, or can seek private transportation. Please note that once discharged from the emergency department, patients will be required to find their own transport back to their home community.
Northern Health’s emergency rooms tend to patients who have experienced a sudden and/or unusual change in their health. This includes, but isn’t limited to, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding or pain, broken bones, chest pain and eye injuries.
Patients who aren’t sure whether their condition would warrant an emergency room visit, or who need health advice can call HealthLink BC (8-1-1), or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
NH is committed to working with physicians and the community on short- and long-term sustainable solutions for health care services in Fort St. James. On July 24, Northern Health announced the successful recruitment of three physicians to Fort St. James. One of these doctors will work part-time starting in late October 2012, and two will commence full–time work in early 2013.
In collaboration with exceptional community partners, recruitment efforts continue in an effort to bring more physicians to Fort St. James. Northern Health has received interest from other potential candidates, and will keep the community informed about on-going recruitment efforts.