ST. PAUL - A lack of registered nurses - specifically those with obstetrical training - means there could be "periodic disruptions" to obstetrical services at the St. Therese-St. Paul Healthcare Centre, until April 18.
A memorandum was sent out to stakeholders on April 6 by Alberta Health Services (AHS). The memorandum, signed by Cindy Harmata, the Senior Operating Officer for Areas 5-8 AHS North Zone, states that "When nurses with obstetrical training are not available, obstetric services will be limited to assistance with imminent deliveries."
Collaboration of the physician team will manage any "imminent deliveries," or patients may be transferred out of the community if necessary, to surrounding facilities. The closest facility is located in Bonnyville, which is 66 km away from St. Paul. The Cold Lake Healthcare Centre is 121 km away, and the Lac La Biche William J. Cadzow Healthcare Centre is 122 km away.
"EMS will remain available in the community," reads the memorandum.
The periodic disruptions are expected to be temporary, "and AHS continues to work to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need."
According to AHS, there are "several initiatives underway to support recruitment efforts, including northern incentive programs, as well as working closely with practicing professionals and the community."
In December of 2021, there were nine deliveries that took place at the St. Paul hospital. In January there were seven deliveries, and in February there were six.
Lakeland Today reached out to AHS to see if there was further information available on the situation. But as of Thursday morning, there was no new information to report.
"We will continue to keep the community updated as more information becomes available," reads the memorandum.
Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA David Hanson confirmed that he received notice on Wednesday about the periodic service disruptions, and said it was "no surprise to me at all."
Hanson says he attended meetings with local nurses over the last month, where he's heard many concerns expressed.
“The entire nursing staff is stressed to the limit," says Hanson.
The meetings have included nurses, along with local politicians, and the last meeting also included an AHS representative. Hanson adds, the message coming from local nurses was that the situation was only going to get worse.
When asked what he thought the immediate solution to the situation was, Hanson says AHS management working cooperatively with the nurses who are now in place, would go a long way.
One of the concerns Hanson heard from nurses goes back to the redeployment that AHS did due to the pandemic. This redeployment saw nurses who work strictly in home-care, for example, sent to work in emergency departments or obstetrics - areas where they were sometimes not trained to be. This put additional stress on many of them.
Of course, the long-term solution would be to recruit and retain more nurses and doctors in rural areas, says Hanson.
The MLA acknowledges that the issues being seen in St. Paul are not unique. Service disruptions at the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre have also been experienced this year, for example.
“This is unacceptable," affirms Hanson.
Ongoing closures
According to the AHS website that shows temporary bed/space reductions across the province, St. Paul continues to show a reduction of 10 of 42 acute care beds due to "Temporary staff shortage due to vacation, vacancies, ongoing recruitment."
This temporary reduction has been in place since June of 2021. A new anticipated end day of May 16, 2022, is listed on the information.
The "temporary disruption of obstetrical services due to lack of obstetric trained RN coverage," is also listed on the AHS map.
