O'Leary residents fear losing outpatient services as Health P.E.I. looks at consolidating
Health P.E.I. is looking at consolidating outpatient services in the West Prince region, a move that has O'Leary residents worried about losing yet another health-care service in their community.
Currently, people can have short procedures that don't require an overnight stay — like getting a cast removed, receiving antibiotics intravenously, having iron infusions and blood transfusions — in both Alberton and O'Leary. Collectively, these services are known as ambulatory care.
Health Minister Mark McLane told CBC News on Friday that consolidation is not in the cards at the moment.
"We're acknowledging the problem, and the issue. I think it's important to communicate with the staff, and they'll just work through it," he said. "My understanding is it's mostly nursing that's the shortage in those two facilities, so a couple nursing hires could have a great impact."
But a senior manager at Health P.E.I. told CBC News that it is indeed looking at putting all those services in one location due to concerns raised by staff members about increased workload and the number of patients needing more serious care.
"I think what we can say is we feel like it probably should be amalgamated into one," said executive director of hospital services and patient flow Dylana Arsenault.
Dylana Arsenault, the executive director of hospital services and patient flow at Health P.E.I., acknowledges there is a high demand for ambulatory care in the region. (Gabrielle Drummond/Radio-Canada)
"I think we feel comfortable in that. I think our staff have made very, very [valid] points in regards to that... To me, that feels right and I can't deny that."
Thousands of people access outpatient services in West Prince every year, but Arsenault said hospital staff feel stretched dividing services between the two hospitals, and report feeling more supported and better resourced when they are together in one site.
'We don't want to take anything away'
O'Leary Community Health Foundation chair Eva Rodgerson says she's fearful of her hospital losing yet another service. The province closed the hospital's emergency department in 2008.
"We're really hoping that it's not a loss," she said.
Health Minister Mark McLane says a couple of nursing hires for West Prince could have a great impact in the decision on whether to amalgamate services or not. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)
Health P.E.I. has merged ambulatory care services for Western Hospital in Alberton and Community Hospital O'Leary in the past to help address summer staffing shortages.
Rodgerson is concerned a permanent consolidation would favour Western Hospital, which already has the region's only emergency department.
"We don't want to take anything away from the residents or the services at Western Hospital," she said. "That was never the goal.
"The goal was to provide a service that was much needed here for the residents here. So what we'd like to see is the same service continue for both facilities."
A focus on local health care
O'Leary resident Darren MacKinnon knows firsthand how crucial it can be to be able to receive care close to home. His son lost a limb after a motorcycle crash, and was treated as an outpatient in O'Leary after spending months in a hospital outside P.E.I
The focus needs to remain on services, says O'Leary resident Darren MacKinnon. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)
"It provided a high level of localized care and an ability to connect with all of his previous caregivers," MacKinnon said.
"It also provided his caregivers, ourselves as his parents, an opportunity to continue with getting our lives back to somewhat of a normalcy again, and have a semi-normal work life again."
He said that flexibility can be a huge factor in the recovery process.
"I understand that our health-care system has many challenges today, but I think we also need to maintain a focus on making sure we are here for our local residents."
