HSC pilot project bumps up minor treatment clinic staffing

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In an effort to further reduce ER wait times, an additional physician will staff the minor treatment clinic at Health Sciences Centre, starting next week, health officials announced Friday.

The additional doctor means there will be two on duty at a time, allowing for the potential treatment of roughly 20 more patients per day, taking pressure off the ER.

The staffing is being done on a four-week pilot project basis, with about $33,000 in additional funding for the clinic located inside the Winnipeg hospital, near the emergency department.

Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the pilot is a direct result of the feedback from front-line health-care workers. The minister made the announcement alongside HSC chief operating officer Dr. Shawn Young and chief medical officer Dr. Manon Pelletier.

The clinic logs about 30-40 patients a day, with most being referred from the ER, as well as some walk-ins. A rotation of about a dozen physicians staff the clinic. Usually, one physician at a time works in the clinic. (There are three nurse practitioners who will also be added to the staffing rotation.)

The minor treatment clinic has been a “resounding success” since it was created in August 2023, Pelletier said.

Since last fall, some 2,100 ER patients have been diverted to the clinic instead. The majority are residents of downtown and Point Douglas, who show up to the ER for treatment of minor ailments.

Many of them are experiencing homelessness, don’t have a family doctor and aren’t able to travel to another clinic, Pelletier said.

“These are the patients who would typically wait the longest to be seen in our emergency department. When they’re moved to the clinic, they’re now being seen, treated and are out the door in about two hours,” she said — about half the time it would take them to be seen by an ER doctor.

The minor treatment clinic is shortening ER wait times at HSC, Pelletier added.

Meantime, median wait times have increased slightly over the past few months, Shared Health data show. The median wait time in November was 3.9 hours, compared with 3.4 hours in June.

In November 2023, the 90th percentile wait times for HSC’s ER were about 13.8 hours, compared with 12.9 hours in October, 13.5 hours in September, 11.6 hours in August, 11.4 hours in July and 10.8 hours in June.

The health minister said the pilot project will be reviewed after four weeks, when it will be considered for expansion, potentially at other hospitals.

In a statement, Opposition health critic MLA Kathleen Cook (Roblin) praised the announcement and criticized the NDP.

“It’s great to see the expansion of a successful PC initiative, even if it is temporary. However, we are still waiting for any plan from the NDP to add much-needed staff to our health-care system. One doctor for just four weeks certainly won’t cut it.”

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca