ABOYNE – Due to staff shortages, Groves Memorial Community Hospital is closing its obstetrics department over the long weekend.
Obstetrics services will be redirected starting July 29 and will resume on Aug. 1 at 7am.
However, paramedics will still route to the closest hospital emergency department in critical situations.
“It’s a tough decision to make but our patient safety is our priority, and we need to make sure that we have minimum safe staffing standards,” said Kate Kobbes, chief nursing executive with the Wellington Health Care Alliance (WHCA), which operates Groves as well as hospitals in Palmerston and Mount Forest.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to meet those demands this weekend, so that’s why we made the decision to go on redirect.”
Kobbes also confirmed shortages were primarily in the hospital’s nursing staff, noting new sick calls and leaves contributed to the decision to redirect.
“We do call the redirect as soon as we are able to, and made that decision earlier today,” she explained on July 29.
Groves is not the first area hospital that’s had to close a department.
Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest and Palmerston and District Hospital have also had to pause obstetrics services through the summer.
Kobbes said the number of patients seen in the Groves obstetrics department varies daily.
Asked what the hospital is doing to mitigate future closures, Kobbes said WHCA has several strategies in place to recruit and retain nurses, including increasing full-time positions, combining positions, and looking at specific scheduling practices, among others.
However, she added it’s difficult to keep up with the shifting landscape of the health care system.
“We are recruiting new people, but there is a lot of movement within health care right now that continues to erode our staffing source, as well as retirements,” she explained.
“Our staff and physicians are working very hard to minimize the disruption and do everything they can to pick up extra shifts, etc. to avoid redirect and minimize that occurrence.”
Depending on where the patient lives, the next closest hospital for obstetrical services are:
- Guelph General Hospital, 115 Delhi St., Guelph, phone: 519-822-5350;
- Grand River Hospital, 835 King St., W., Kitchener, phone: 519-749-4300;
- Cambridge Memorial Hospital, 700 Coronation Blvd., Cambridge, phone: 519-621-2330; and
- Headwaters Health Care Centre, 100 Rolling Hills Dr., Orangeville, phone: 519-941-2410.
Patients that would normally visit Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest and Palmerston and District Hospital will also be redirected to these locations.
Patients are advised to call ahead to the next nearest hospital before arriving.
