Staffing shortages reduce health care services in Glenboro

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This article was published 25/03/2023 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five nurses requested transfers from a hospital in rural Manitoba after the facility was downgraded to a transitional care site last month, adding to the dearth of healthcare services in western Manitoba.

The Glenboro Health Centre lost the ability to perform daily emergency services in February, when a physician left the hospital. Five nurses have since left.

“Like other health organizations in the country, (Prairie Mountain Health) is experiencing physician, nursing and support staff challenges in the community of Glenboro,” Treena Slate, the area’s regional healthcare lead, said in an email statement to the Free Press late Friday.

Prairie Mountain is backfilling the vacancies with temporary supports, and the site continues to provide emergency care one day a week, Slate said.

However, the centre is now considered transitional, and patients requiring higher levels of care must travel outside the community.

The regional health authority is working to recruit a new doctor and healthcare staff, promising the reduction in service is temporary. There have been no changes to other services, including at personal care homes in the community, Slate said.

“PMH will continue to re-evaluate staffing resources and ability to sustain transitional care operations at Glenboro Health Centre. PMH wishes to express to the dedication and commitment of their staff during challenging times of human resource shortages,” she said,

A separate spokesperson said Prairie Mountain is “optimistic” the centre will be able to provide transitional care for “the immediate future.”

The rural municipality of Glenboro-South Cypress is located some 170 kilometres west of Winnipeg. According to data from the 2021 Census, 544 people live in the community, with roughly 30 per cent aged 65 years or older.

In December, documents obtained by the Free Press revealed provincial health officials have been considering closures for at least four years, with proposed closures at 16 rural emergency rooms.

The Shared Health document targeted emergency departments in Treherne, Morris, Melita, Shoal Lake, Carman, St. Pierre-Joly, Swan Lake, Glenboro, Roblin, Beausejour, Teulon, Carberry, Deloraine, Boissevain, Arborg and Ashern.

A spokesperson Manitoba Progressive Conservative party issued a response to the documents at the time.

“At no point since our government took office has there been a consideration to permanently close any rural emergency departments,” they said.

The list was compiled years ago, under former premier Brian Pallister. To date, it has not been acted upon, although some of the communities have seen temporary closures.

Treherne’s emergency department closed last April. Swan Lake’s closed March 2021, owing to a doctor shortage.

This week, residents in Carberry learned the emergency room at the Carberry Plains Health Centre would have no physician coverage as of September, when the current doctor’s contract concludes.

The hospital used to employ two physicians and a nurse practitioner, but one of the doctors retired earlier this year. With only a nurse practitioner on staff, the centre could be reduced to urgent care status

“We are trying our best to recruit a new doctor and keep what we’ve got,” Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead said in a phone interview last weeek.

Muirhead said he does not want the centre reduced to a transitional site.

“We’ve got a lot of seniors in this town. If they go to the hospital in town for treatments or tests, it’s pretty easy. I can’t imagine them having to navigate a bigger centre like Winnipeg or Brandon,” he said.

Tory Health Minister Audrey Gordon had previously stated the government will not permanently close any rural emergency departments and is working with stakeholders to find staffing solutions.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca