Hospitals and health centres operated by Alberta Health Services (AHS) across the Lakeland region have been experiencing ongoing nursing staff shortages and healthcare disruptions. Locally, staffing shortages have caused hospital departments in St. Paul and Lac La Biche to have acute care bed closures and obstetric services impacted, said Gayleen Froese, AHS’ north zone senior communications officer. A concern, she adds, that has been ongoing especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After two years of pandemic response, recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals is a challenge across North America. AHS has been experiencing shortages of both registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in our hospitals across Alberta, including in both Lac La Biche and St. Paul.”
As of July 13, almost a quarter of the 42 acute care beds at St. Paul’s St. Therese Health Care Centre were temorarily closed, while the William J. Cadzow Healthcare Centre in Lac La Biche had eight of 23 acute care beds closed. The temporary closures, Froese says, aren't causing a strain on the ability to provide services to residents in need of healthcare, rather they are closed to make sure the limited staff available are able to give the best level of care.
“Temporarily reducing the number of in-patient beds at a health care facility when staffing levels are low is common practice and ensures that we can continue to provide safe, quality care, for those requiring health services. This allows us to reduce staffing needs and focus on providing quality care to our patients,” she said, adding that the demand in the region isn’t as dire compared to larger communities, so the bed shortages haven’t adversely affected local needs.
However, the staff shortages have disrupted and cut more services in recent months. During the months of June and July, endoscopy services in Lac La Biche have been interrupted while the obstetric unit in St. Paul has had routine disruptions since March 31, she added.
Lac La Biche obstetrics unit
While the acute care beds in both municipalities and obstetrics services in St. Paul are anticipated to be resolved in early August, the Obstetric Unit at the William J. Cadzow Healthcare Centre in Lac La Biche will not return services anytime soon.
On May 20, AHS completely shut down obstetric services which include cesarean sections procedures in Lac La Biche after losing a physician specializing in anaesthesia services. While AHS recruitment staff work on filling the vacancy, currently, the unit has no anticipated date to reopen.
Alternative birth plans
Any expectant mothers have and will be able to receive support in Lac La Biche throughout their pregnancy, said Froese. Furthermore, hospital staff will work at creating alternative birth plans at other facilities while also arranging any emergent obstetric services at nearby facilities, she added.
“We continue to ensure all expecting patients have the support they need, including having a plan in place for where they will safely deliver their babies,” she says.
“Obstetrics patients may also be referred to a preferred facility of their choice for their delivery. We are in direct contact with prenatal patients and their families to review the options available to them for hospital-based delivery,” said Froese.
Addressing the service challenges are at the forefront for AHS staff and provincial health officials, which has helped create a network of support with neighbouring facilities who work together during service disruptions and staff shortages, said Froese.
“Albertans should be assured they will receive the care they need. Alberta Health Services manages local service disruptions, in part, through a strong regional network in which nearby facilities support each other in providing patient care as needed.”
Boyle facility
Currently, the Boyle Health Care Centre isn’t operating in the evening due to nursing vacancies, according to a statement released by AHS on June 30. The hospital, 66 kilometres west of Lac La Biche, is only open from “9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed overnight from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m” from July 1 to Aug. 1., in order to not create burnout among staff and accommodate emergencies that typically arrive during peak hours, the statement read.
“This decision will allow us to keep the facility open during the time when over 85 per cent of emergency department visits occur, without creating burnout among our dedicated healthcare professionals. We will continue to seek coverage in order to return to normal operating hours as soon as possible,” says Stacy Greening, Chief Zone Officer with AHS North Zone.
A concern that Lac La Biche County Mayor, Paul Reutov, and Village of Boyle Mayor, Colin Derko, have been discussing to combat regional hospital disruptions affecting residents in both communities, said Reutov during a Lac La Biche County council meeting on July 5.
“I was on the phone last week regarding the Boyle Center Hospital closure with the Mayor back and forth trying to collaborate so that regional hospitals are not closed at the same time,” said Reutov while looking to find solutions and working with AHS on the matter. “We’re always in communication...and hopefully together we can put some additional pressure on AHS to get something done about it, but we are planning to collaborate and get together with some meetings with AHS and local mayors as well.”
While health facilities surrounding Boyle will support their overnight needs, residents across the province and in the Lakeland region should be assured that AHS will continue to fill the gaps whenever a closure or disruption happens as they recruit nurses and doctors, said Froese.
“Alberta Health Services is working hard to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time, and to keep all other services at the sites operating as normal.”
