> West Lincoln Chamber launches business survey /Pg 2 > Chili will warm Coldest Night participants Pg 5 > Barbershoppers call it a day Pg 7 > Brides feature: maintain your memories Pg 10 Thursday, February 14, 2019 Vol. 8 Issue 41
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WLMH OR weekend closures to start next week By Mike Williscraft NewsNow The operating room nursing shortage which has been at a crisis state for months has now necessitated weekend closures of the ORs at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Hamilton Health Sciences president and CEO Rob MacIsaac made the announcement to staff last Friday after a second OR nurse gave notice she would be leaving. The latest departure has made a crisis situation untenable if current service levels were to be maintained, so HHS has made the move.
“A number of staff in the last week have indicated they would be moving on and so that’s posing particular challenges at that site. It has to be said that the nurses at that site have been doing backflips to try to maintain service levels there but they are becoming weary,” said MacIsaac. “We are going to need to get to, on an interim basis, another model that presents reasonable expectations of how much those nurses are prepared to work.” The OR roster requires 12 staff, full-time and part time, to maintain proper levels but it currently has
three FT nurses and three PT, with one “shared” PT nurse. The immediate need is five hires. Asked if he thinks the ongoing instability at WLMH has either pushed staff to consider retirement or move elsewhere and/or kept potential hires from considering the job postings at WLMH, MacIsaac dismissed the notion. “Well, I have met with the OR nurses as a group and I have also spoken with the people who are choosing to move on for one reason or another. I’m satisfied that you know folks are leaving not because they feel like
their jobs are in jeopardy at West Lincoln but rather for a variety of other reasons,” said MacIsaac. “I think that you know, in some cases, (staff) are eligible to retire where they have their numbers and where they’ve been working extraordinary hours, really compromising their work-life balance. That’s been a key motivating factor . In other cases, it’s really been people who are looking to advance their careers who were looking to move to a site where they’ve got bigger opportunities, leadership opportunities, skills See CLOSURE, Page 3
Minister of Health says HHS talks ‘fluid’
A high note
Grimsby Seniors Choir had an eventful Friday morning as they were put through their paces with all being recorded at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church for an upcoming album. (L to R) Mya Davila, Lien Vanderlinden and Toni Birtch were among those participating from GSC, Smith Public School, St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School and Trail Ridge Montessori. For full details, please turn to Page 6. Marks - Photo
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow The now-pending weekend closure of West Lincoln Memorial Hospital’s operating rooms is a frontburner issues, says Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott. Reached for comment late Tuesday night, Elliott said the entire Hamilton Health Sciences/WLMH file is evolving and her ministry is focused on arriving at short-term solutions. “I am committed to bringing a new hospital to the West Lincoln community and echo the Premier’s commitment to building the hospital that the people in Niagara West and the surrounding community need,” said Elliott. To get there Hayley Chazan, Elliott’s press secretary added that Elliott is aware of the situation regarding the OR nurse shortage at WLMH. “She has directed the Ministry to work with Hamilton Health Sciences around the clock to find a solution. As the Minister said in November, any relocation of services for any reason would be temporary, and she looks forward to a solution that ensures the needs of the community are met and that patient safety is maintained. But let there be no doubt about our government’s commitment to a new hospital at the West Lincoln site,” said Chazan, adding Elliott sees the HHS discussion as “fluid”.