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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-01-28, Page 3Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - Page A3 Seaforth nursing shortage causes ER reduction _____Suainilhinder IL mark__ signal -star publishing After "limping along" for sev- eral years with a nursing shortage at Seaforth. Community Hospital (SCH), administration announced the emergency department would have to close for 12 hours each day starting Feb.. 7. SCH site administrator Mary Cardinal stressed that the night- time closure of Seaforth's emer- gency department from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. is an interim situation driven by the nursing shortage, not by fi- nances or physicians. Patients and ambulances will be re-routed dur- ing the department's closed hours to nearby sites including Clinton, Wingham, Stratford, Listowel and South Huron. It's unlikely the Sea - forth closure will have a direct ef- fect of the Emergency Department at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich, where both physician and nursing staff short- ages have been a top concern as well. "I don't anticipate that the clo- sure will have any significant im- pact on AMGH," said Goderich hospital CEO Bill Thibert. He added that AMGH will continue to maintain it's 24 emergency Depar- temtnt. Cardinal stressed that the re- duced hours at emergency are not a precursor of a hospital closure. "There is no intention of closing any sites. The Alliance was formed on the basis of four sites and that continues to be our intent. We will continue our recruitment," she said. "The nurses have been phenom- enal, really patching things to- gether for the past two and a half years - they've forgone vacations and worked triple overtime. But, we've gotten to the point where we don't have an adequate number of nurses with ER qualifications," said Cardinal. She added the sign on the front lawn of Seaforth's hospital adver-• tising the need for nurses is only one way the Huron Perth Health- care Alliance has been actively re- cruiting nurses during a province - wide shortage. "Any hospital administrator in Ontario will tell you they're .one nurse away from the same situa- tion," she said, adding that's the reason ER nurses cannot be trans- ferred from other hospitals to fill the vacancy in Seaforth. Dr. Heather Percival said that while Healthforce Ontario has created a pool of doctors to fill in across the province when the doc- tor shortage has threatened to close emergency departments, Seaforth's is the first crisis caused by the nurs- ing shortage and a similar pool of nurses doesn't yet exist. "I'm hopeful they'll do the same thing as they did with physicians," she said. Cardinal said part of the difficul- ty in recruiting nurses is that nurses are now trained as specialists with specific skill sets. "It all boils down to quality of care. We need a certain level of ex- pertise so we can provide the best care possible, the same care you would receive as any hospital," added Dr. Carolin Shepherd. While agency nurses were used by SCH to fill vacancies over the sum- mer at the emergency department, Cardinal said there are not enough ER nurses working as agency nurses to solve the problem again in Sea - forth. Cardinal said the greatest amount of traffic at the Sea - forth emergency department happens during the daytime hours. Shepherd said • she un- derstands the community's shock and fear in response to the news of the nighttime closure of Seaforth's ER. "It's going to be hand on the community and I can understand the emotion very well," she said. Photo by Denny Scott A Papal • Blessing Martina Schneiker was pre- sented with a Papal Blessing commemorating her work at St. Peters Catholic Church in Goderich over her 97 -year lifetime. Schneiker has played the organ since she was 12 years old, and helped the church in many different ways. Shown is the current Pastor of St. Peter's, Father John Jasica, pre- senting the blessing. OISIECOR `` ltd Bowes Publishers Limited A Subsidiary of Sun Media Corporation - A Quebecor Company The Goderich Signal -Star, published every Wednesda , 52 limes year, at Goderich, Ontario is one of The • Group of Community Newspapers. The Signal -Star shah not be liable for failure to publish an ad or for typographical effors pubNcation except to the extent of the cost of that portion of thead in wi the error occurred. The Goderich Signal -Star reserves the right to rejed or edit any advertisement. Subscription rate is $40.00 per year plus GST. The Goderich Signal -Star is a member of The Canadian Newspaper Association (CCNA), The Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA), and the Ontario Press Council. For any non deliveries or defvery concerns please cal 519- 524-2614. Return all undelivered copies, changes of address and sub- scripdon order to -address below. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 PAP Registration No. 7602 Retum undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept. P.O. ,Box 220,120 Huckins St., Goderich, Ont, N7A 4B6 (519) 524-2614 ernal: sspcircobowesnetcom We advawledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Pubiications Assistance Program towards our mailing costs. Canada' "Growing old is mandatory; growing Family Fun...Close to Hom . . • '• • • • • • 1 f • • • • • • • Dr. Jason Datema, hospital site chief agreed saying, "For a lot of people, emergency is the hospital." "It's a security blanket - you know it's there when your child wakes at 2 a.m. with a fever of 104," said Per- cival. "And, it still will be - you just have to drive a little more." 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