Interior Health says it is taking a phased approach to resume services in places like Barriere, Clearwater, and Lillooet that were temporarily paused last month due to COVID-19.
It says one new registered nurse has been recruited to Clearwater with inpatient services to reopen there on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Meanwhile, in Lillooet, two new registered nurses have been recruited with inpatient services reopening on March 14.
In Barriere, where the entire Health Centre was closed, IH says nurse provided primary care services will return to normal next Wednesday, while outpatient lab services will return to five days per week, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., starting on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
“The Omicron-driven COVID-19 staffing impacts on the health system are beginning to subside and Interior Health can now resume services that were temporarily paused last month,” IH President and CEO, Susan Brown, said, in a statement.
“We are working with impacted communities this week and assigning staff back to their regular roles throughout the region following a phased approach that brings services back in a safe and planned way.”
Interior Health though is continuing with the temporarily reduced emergency department hours at the Ashcroft Community Health Centre until further notice. The health authority says reduced overnight services there and at the Slocan Community Health Centre in New Denver is needed to stabilize daytime services in those communities.
“While the COVID-19 related staffing pressures and staff sick calls are diminishing, Interior Health is actively recruiting to fill one full-time registered nurse vacancy before staffing [in Ashcroft] will be sufficiently stabilized,” IH said, in a statement.
Emergency department hours in Ashcroft temporarily remain Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Interior Health also says it will begin scheduling non-urgent elective surgeries on Feb. 23, with a phased return to full services over a two week period. It also says depending on the community, select outpatient services, adult day programs and non-urgent home health services will resume, and clients will be contacted directly.
“While staffing is not stable enough to safely restore all services next week, we are pleased to take initial steps and resume non-urgent elective surgeries for people throughout Interior Health. We will be rescheduling postponed procedures to catch up with the backlog as quickly as possible,” added Brown.
“We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding as Interior Health took swift action last month to manage the COVID-19 driven staffing crisis. Safety is our highest priority and as sick calls begin to diminish and this COVID-19 wave subsides, we are pleased to lift these emergency measures throughout the region.”
You’ll find updates on these temporary service changes here.
