To the editor:
It is no secret that recently you have heard, or personally experienced, increased wait times at the NBRHC ED. On behalf of our team, I would first like to thank you for your patience and understanding, and also offer a pre-emptive apology - it is going to get worse.
We have an exceptional team that works together to provide high-quality care for our community, neighbours, friends, and loved ones. Over the last several years, and particularly the last year, we have worked hard to support the team as they have navigated high levels of burnout and an escalating crisis in primary care and emergency medicine.
At various points, we have been very short-staffed in different team areas, but our current deepening crisis is in physician staffing levels. Despite focused and creative efforts to recruit to our team, we are currently staffed by only half of the number of emergency physicians required to support the department and heavily rely on a variable string of locum or temporary physicians. This puts enormous strain on the remaining group and dramatically increases the risk of further burnout.
Please know that our physicians, and the team as a whole, work as quickly and as safely as possible to see all patients, but must prioritize the sickest first. Due to our regional role, and high volumes of emergent and urgent patients, our ability to see non-urgent patients continues to be overwhelmed, leading to longer and longer wait times, sometimes well in excess of 10 hours.
This is not the type of public message I enjoy sharing, and I know this is not the type of messaging you hope to receive. You have heard for months, if not years, to prepare for ‘longer than usual wait times’, but this has tragically become the norm. It is important to know that wait times are multi-factorial including the number of admitted patients, available ED beds, nursing levels, lab and diagnostic staff availability, volume of patients, family physician and nurse practitioner shortages, etc., but the current pressing reason in our community is a critical shortage of emergency physicians.
What are we doing?
We are providing open communication about what to expect and how you can help us. We will continue to explore all avenues to provide timely care to the patients in our department, including hiring a physician assistant, expanding our nurse practitioner’s role, and working with non-emergency physician colleagues to provide non-urgent care.
We also continue to actively work with the hospital to support all recruitment and retention efforts.
How can you help us?
- Explore all alternative avenues of care for non-urgent issues in our community and region.
- Bring your medications or medication list with you.
- Bring hearing aids, glasses, and walking aids with you.
- Bring a device charger.
- Arrange for possible transportation home.
- Prepare to wait for prolonged times.
- Respect that our team is under incredible stress, and has been experiencing high levels of verbal abuse, which cannot be tolerated. We recognize that visits to the ED can be very stressful, but we require a safe work environment to provide high-quality care.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Dr. Taylor Lougheed, Dr. Lisa Harman, Dr. Alexis Lemmex
North Bay Physicians
