LAKELAND - Bed closures have been extended at both the St. Paul and Cold Lake healthcare centres, due to staff shortages.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) confirmed the temporary bed closures would continue beyond Oct. 31.
"Ten of the 30 acute care inpatient beds at the St. Therese – St. Paul Healthcare Centre were temporarily closed beginning June 7. It was anticipated these beds would reopen Aug. 31 should the staffing shortage be resolved," according to AHS.
In September five of the 10 beds were reopened due to surgical staff redeployments, but staffing challenges continue at the hospital, and those five beds have been closed temporarily once more.
According to a statement from AHS received by Lakeland This Week in late October, reducing the number of acute care beds temporarily when staffing levels are low is "common practice" and does not compromise the care patients are receiving.
"Patients will continue to receive high quality, safe care" and, "There are no plans to permanently reduce health care services in these communities," says AHS.
In a memorandum sent to "community stakeholders" on Nov. 3, AHS says it is hopeful that some of the beds will reopen within the next month, and AHS will keep the community updated on the situation.
In Cold Lake, five out of 24 acute care beds have been temporarily closed since June 30. "It was initially anticipated the beds would reopen by Sept. 30," says AHS.
The provincial healthcare authority says emergency services are not being impacted in St. Paul or Cold Lake and recruitment efforts should result in progress in the coming weeks.
"Labour and delivery services in Cold Lake may be intermittently interrupted based on the availability of obstetrics trained nursing staff. We will work to ensure all expecting mothers have the support they need, including having a plan in place for where they will safely deliver their babies should obstetrics services at Cold Lake Healthcare Centre be temporarily interrupted," reads the statement from AHS.
Extending the bed closures is a temporary measure, affirms AHS, adding, it allows for safe and high-quality care for patients who are admitted to the facilities, and allows for a quality work environment for health care staff.
The current situation facing many health care facilities is "not sustainable," according to the statement from AHS, while also acknowledging the stress on health care workers during the ongoing pandemic . "We are beyond grateful to our frontline teams for their tireless efforts to provide care to those who need it."
Elk Point
The Emergency Department at the Elk Point Healthcare Centre has also been affected by regular closures, and those closures are being extended.
On Nov. 2, AHS updated the situation, but noted the twice a week closures will continue through another month.
"The Elk Point Healthcare Centre Emergency Department (ED) will continue to be temporarily without on-site physician coverage from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, as a result of not having a physician on site," according to a media release from AHS. "This is a temporary measure and will be in effect until Nov. 30, or until on-site physician coverage for those hours can be secured."
Nursing staff are on-site in the ED providing triage and assessments, and referrals for patients to other emergency departments in nearby communities, as needed.
"Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. EMS calls will be re-routed to St. Therese – St. Paul Healthcare Centre in St. Paul (35 km)," says AHS.
