N.L. mayors cling to cautious optimism about future of ERs in rural areas
Temporary staffing shortages are plaguing rural health-care centres in Newfoundland and Labrador — but some mayors are prescribing a dose of optimism for the future.
Last week the provincial health authority announced temporarily reduced hours and virtual ERs in place for health centres over the coming week.
One of the areas impacted by the closures is the Dr. Y.K. Jeon Kittiwake Health Centre in New-Wes-Valley.
Mayor Michael Tiller said the community worries when the ER closes, wondering how far they'll have to go to receive emergency care.
New-Wes-Valley Mayor Michael Tiller said the community worries when the ER is closed. (CBC)
"This time here, it's not so bad, but of course during January, February you have weather conditions to worry about. So yeah, it does put a … little sense of dread into the citizens," Tiller told CBC News.
He said it's a 125-kilometre drive to Grand Falls-Windsor, where people are being directed to go for emergency services.
Promising diagnosis
Tiller said it's not all bad news though, pointing to a shared family care team between New-Wes-Valley and Centreville-Wareham-Trinity.
Health minister Tom Osborne recently announced nurse practitioners are coming into the area in the next six to eight weeks, so the facility will have their doors open from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. NT.
"So it's certainly not all doom and gloom. No doubt there's been some rough patches, but I like these new announcements," said Tiller.
Tiller added he'll be meeting with senior management of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, and he plans to ask about staffing retention and about replacing the aging long-term care home and primary care facility.
Tiller isn't the only mayor holding on to brighter times coming.
Fogo Island Health Centre's ER is also one of the areas impacted by staffing shortages.
Buchans Mayor Brian Fowlow said residents are losing patience with the ongoing health-care situation. (Mike Moore/CBC)
Mayor Andrew Shea has reason to be optimistic about the future of health care in his community, though. "Our problem has been reduced significantly. We very rarely now have an ER closure," he told CBC News.
He said they have a full-time doctor on the island as well as a number of locums, and are getting a second doctor in October.
"So we think we got the problem solved, it's just waiting it out," said Shea.
The recent temporary closure is easier to accept because they can see a solution coming this fall, Shea said.
Shea added the community is excited for what's coming next. When the second doctor arrives he also expects they will have fewer ER closures. He added they're also hoping to get two nurse practitioners.
"We're going to be in good shape. Not yet. If it goes the way it looks, we're going to be in good shape."
Residents losing patience with delays
The A.M. Guy Memorial Health Centre in Buchans has been plagued by temporary closures for more than a year. On top of that, about two years ago the community lost its full-time doctor, said Mayor Brian Fowlow.
"So we've been struggling with these rolling emergency closures for quite some time now. You know, we're reasonably well covered off with locums and whatnot," he said.
It can mean an ambulance and a long drive to Grand Falls-Windsor, Fowlow added.
He said people in his community are running out of patience. The health authority has told them it's working on filling its full-time position, but he said getting information has been slow.
"We've got an aging community here in Buchans," he said. "We're a remote community, which is concerning when you don't have an emergency department."
