STAFFING SHORTAGE A 'DISASTER' FOR WELLAND HOSPITAL: BURCH

Niagara Health said it asked all Niagara's political leaders for help recruiting hospital staff months ago, long before staff shortages forced the hospital system to transfer some patients from Welland to other sites on evenings and weekends.

Nevertheless, NiagaraCentre MPP Jeff Burch and Welland Mayor Frank Campion called it "disturbing" to learn from members of the community — rather than Niagara Health — about changes to emergency services, that include transferring patients requiring emergency surgeries to Niagara Falls or St. Catharines after 4:30 p.m., and on weekends.

"It's a real disaster for folks in Welland and Port Colborne if we don't have a full emergency department at the Welland hospital," Burch said.

In an email, Niagara Health communications specialist Michelle Presse said hospital system administration "met with all of the elected officials across the region during the summer months, and

asked for their support in recruiting and retaining physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers."

In response to the concerns expressed at the meetings, she said Campion discussed human resources issues at the Association of Municipalities Ontario conference in August.

Presse said the hospital system needs about 30 anesthesiologists,

but has 20 on staff and up to six of them will be eligible for retirement this year.

"In light of the national shortage of anesthesiologists and ongoing recruitment challenges, there is a need to redesign access to these critical health human resources to ensure a sustainable model and service," she said.

In a column published

Sept. 21 in Niagara Daily newspapers, Niagara Health president and chief executive officer Lynn Guerriero said patients needing emergency surgeries had already been redirected from Welland to Niagara Falls and St. Catharines several times during the summer as a result of the shortage, and warned "patients will likely see more redirects in urgent

situations to minimize the impact on service continuity."

Burch, however, said he and Campion were not informed about the recent changes at the Welland hospital.

"The NHS did not even inform the mayor or myself or any other representatives about the emergency surgeries closing temporarily at the Welland site," he said. "We got calls from doctors and patients and staff, that's how the mayor and I found out. Communication has been horrible."

Campion, too, said he was surprised and disappointed to learn the hospital system implemented the changes without previously informing the city.

"It's unfortunate and really not satisfactory as far as I'm concerned to be getting this information the way that I've gotten it," he said.

If the city was given a heads-up in advance of the change, Campion said he would have at least been able to provide the correct information to residents who contacted him, including some who wrongly believed the emergency department was closing entirely.

"It creates a lot of anxiety in the community, and we want to make sure people have the proper information," Campion said. "I also want people to know what's going on so I can try to mitigate it, try to work on it."

Guerriero wrote a letter to Campion and Burch on Jan. 10 in response to concerns they previously raised about the change, saying the shortage of medical staff has forced some patients needing emergency operations to be redirected from the Niagara Falls and Welland sites since last year, despite efforts of hospital staff including anesthesiologists,