MOUNT FOREST – The Louise Marshall Hospital emergency department will be closed after 5pm through to the next morning on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
The department will close from 5pm on July 16 to 7am on July 17, and again at 5pm on July 17 to 7am on July 18.
It will remain open during daytime hours (7am to 5pm) on Saturday and Sunday.
According to a July 11 press release, the closure is “due to significant gaps in nursing coverage.”
In July 12 emailed statements to the Advertiser, North Wellington Health Care (NWHC) president and CEO Angela Stanley attributed such gaps to a “combination of approved leaves, unexpected medical leaves, and unfilled vacant positions” and said all hospitals within the NWHC network are struggling with a lack of staff.
Similar staffing challenges were also cited, in part, as a reason behind obstetrics services being temporarily cancelled, from June 6 to Sept. 1, at both Louise Marshall and Palmerston and District Hospitals.
A COVID-19 outbreak has also been declared at Louise Marshall, following the discovery of two hospital-acquired infections within the hospital’s inpatient unit as of July 9.
The variant isn’t known and inpatient visits are suspended because of the outbreak.
According to Stanley’s email, there have been no additional cases since, but the virus could affect an “already very precarious staffing situation.”
“The closure is a measure that we regret having to take,” Stanley stated in the Monday press release.
“Our staff have been going above and beyond for greater than two years and we can not ask them to do more.”
In Tuesday’s email, she explained hospital staff “have been working significant overtime over the last few years, sacrificing vacations and time with their family and loved ones.”
The decision to close the department, Stanley said, was not based solely on evening and nighttime staffing levels.
“We looked at our volumes and reallocated resources to ensure we could remain open [during times when] we see the majority of patients,” she stated, adding such a judgment call is a “collective effort” taking into consideration many things, such as a nurse’s skill level.
On average, according to Stanley, “approximately 10 patients” are seen during the times when the department will be closed.
Local residents have expressed concern via social media posts about the timing of the department’s closure, which coincides with the Mount Forest Fireworks Festival (July 14 to 17).
“We have reviewed our data and there is not a significant increase [in patient volume] on historical fireworks festival weekends,” Stanley said.
Anyone requiring immediate medical attention should continue to call 9-1-1. Paramedics will ensure patients get to the nearest hospital emergency department.
Louise Marshall Hospital’s diagnostic imaging, ambulatory care (including oncology), and day surgery (not requiring hospital admission) services remain open.
Patients should call ahead to confirm appointments.
The closest emergency departments to Louise Marshall Hospital are:
- Palmerston and District Hospital (20 minutes);
- South Bruce Grey Health Centre in Durham (23 minutes);
- Listowel Memorial Hospital (32 minutes);
- Hanover and District Hospital (33 minutes);
- South Bruce Grey Health Centre in Walkerton (37 minutes);
- Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Centre Wellington (37 minutes); and
- Wingham and District Hospital (42 minutes).
