Interior Health announced temporary service adjustments to a half-dozen communities on Tuesday, stating it’s doing so to strengthen patient care throughout the region.
The communities are Clearwater, Invermere, Lillooet, New Denver, Ashcroft and Barriere.
According to Interior Health, the service adjustments are due to Omicron-related COVID-19 staffing challenges.
“As we manage the Omicron-driven COVID-19 staffing impacts on the health system, Interior Health is proactively identifying services to adjust and relocate in order to maintain safe patient care,” Interior Health president and CEO Susan Brown said in a press release.
“We will resume normal operations in impacted communities as soon as possible and in the meantime, we are temporarily reassigning and redeploying staff to sustain essential services throughout the region.”
Interior Health says the temporary service changes include:
- Closing inpatient services in Clearwater, Invermere, and Lillooet to stabilize emergency departments in those communities;
- Reducing overnight hours at the Ashcroft Community Health Centre and the Slocan Health Centre in New Denver to stabilize daytime services in those communities;
- Reducing services at the Barriere and District Health Centre to redeploy staff to nearby emergency departments;
- Interior Health also noted that it will also be:
- Temporarily rescheduling all non-urgent surgeries;
- Temporarily reducing services across IH to some outpatient services.
Primary care services, adult day programs and some non-urgent home health services could also be affected.
“Service changes will vary by community and primarily impact scheduled patients and clients who will be contacted directly,” said Interior Health.
“In each instance, an evaluation of patient or client impacts is being reviewed as well as alternate options for care.”
Interior Health says the closures are being done to reassign staff and stabilize emergency departments in preparation for short-notice staff absences at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital and Health Centre in Clearwater, Invermere and District Hospital and Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre.
In Clearwater and Lillooet, the news will see six inpatient beds temporarily closed. For Invermere, the temporary closure will affect eight inpatient beds.
In Ashcroft and New Denver, the emergency department will see reduced overnight hours to stabilize daytime staffing in preparation for short-notice staff absences.
In New Denver, the hours will be reduced from 24 hours to 12 hours, or from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Anyone requiring emergency services outside these hours should call 911 or visit the Arrow Lakes Hospital in Nakusp (48 km away).
In Ashcroft, the emergency department will be reduced from Friday evening to Monday morning, then Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., then Saturday and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Anyone requiring emergency services outside these hours should call 911 or visit the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops (97 km away).
In Barriere, physician services at the health centre will remain open. COVID-19 testing and immunization clinics are also continuing.
However, outpatient nursing services will be closed effective Jan. 20, and laboratory services will be reduced to one day a week effective Jan. 24.
Interior Health says these temporary measures are in place to redeploy staff in support of essential health services.
Anyone requiring emergency service should call 911 or visit the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital and Health Centre in Clearwater (60 km away) or Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops (64 km away).
“Current COVID-19 pressures have led to a staffing crisis that requires temporary emergency measures to maintain access to essential services that are relied on regionally,” said Brown.
“We regret the impacts these service adjustments may cause and will be contacting patients, clients and residents directly to address care needs wherever possible.”