May 20 - Plan Ensures Bowmanville ER Stays Open and Ongoing Acute Care
May 20, 2009
(Bowmanville) Lakeridge Health (LH) is firm in our commitment to keep ER and acute care services at LH Bowmanville. The hospital network’s Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting on May 14 to review a solution to keep Lakeridge Health Bowmanville’s ER open, maintain patient care and meet the deepening physician coverage challenge at LH Bowmanville (LHB).
“Attracting and retaining specialists in Bowmanville has been a challenge for generations of physicians here and won’t be solved with money alone,” said Dr. Benj Fuller, Chief of Emergency Medicine at LH and LH Bowmanville physician. A roster of at least four (4) specialists (by type) is required to allow for reasonable family lives for specialists (i.e. night and weekend coverage one week per month). The current population and number of patients cared for at LH Bowmanville is insufficient to support physician incomes for this number of specialists. This will change as the community continues to grow. Lakeridge Health is continuing recruitment efforts for additional internist coverage at the site.
In addition to ongoing recruitment, Lakeridge Health is implementing a solution to the site’s current Internal Medicine (IM) coverage challenges. At times when a Bowmanville specialist is not available, a LH Oshawa specialists using new, state-of-the-art video conferencing equipment linking Bowmanville ER physicians and Oshawa specialists will be available for consultations. “Until Clarington can support a full roster of specialists, we must consider any and all possible alternative options that will allow us to treat patients safely closer to home while avoiding unnecessary transfers, and maintaining our ER and other services as our community grows,” added Dr. Fuller.
A plan for joint surgical coverage has also been presented to surgeons at Lakeridge Health Bowmanville. This plan is expected to ease surgeon on-call requirements, reduce demands on nurses to work extensive overtime (causing increased sick time and turnover/departures), and maintain reasonable patient access to surgical services.
“This solution and our proposal for surgical coverage for the residents of Clarington and patients at LH Bowmanville ensure that they will continue to have access to quality care around the clock,” said Board Chair Doug Allingham. “We need to be creative and take full advantage of all of today’s modern tools available to us. Until Clarington can successfully recruit more specialists and support a full roster, telemedicine is our best chance of continuing to treat patients safely closer to home,” said Kevin Empey, President and CEO.
Lakeridge Health is already facing a $13.2 million deficit and significant patient care reductions if we cannot secure additional funding from the Central-East LHIN and government. The LHIN and ministry have directed LH to reduce physician payments. In addition to current physician subsidies, LHB physicians have called for additional income guarantees and clinics – with costs likely to reach the millions. “We are continuing to work with the Ministry and CELHIN to determine potential financial relief to preserve hospital services. But in all good conscience, the hospital cannot agree to pay physicians more and launch new programs while we are struggling to afford the services we have now,“ added Mr. Empey.
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Click here for Backgrounder.pdf
For more information:
Amanda Roffey
(905) 576-8711 ext 3742 or aroffey@lakeridgehealth.on.ca