Hospital code blue: Brady Irwin says they have a plan

Many of the serious problems in Sault Area Hospital's emergency department are related to poor working conditions, says SAH vice president of communications Brady Irwin.

"We have come up with a stabilization plan and we're optimistic that we're going to be able to bring an element of stability to our emergency department over the next 90 days," says Irwin.

The stabilization plan is a wide-ranging document that covers patient flow and bed utilization.

It includes physicians, nurses, technicians and security personnel.

Irwin says that the poor working conditions in the emergency department largely relate to patient flow and support for doctors.

Hospital in crisis: departing doctors say they're fed up

Having a shortage of beds available to admit patients when needed; having to wait for x-rays, tests and other supports; and having limited space available in the department are all factors that contribute to stress on physicians and other emergency department staff, he says.

Irwin also says that at least four doctors have left the hospital staff because they were unhappy with working conditions in the emergency department.

"Physicians, especially emergency physicians, are in very high demand," he says. "If they're not satisfied with the way that their work environment is functioning, they look for opportunities elsewhere."

At this time, there are no more than seven physicians on staff in the emergency department at SAH, which means that there have been and will again be times when there is only a single physician working in the department.

"Not only does that slow the process down," says Irwin. "There's potential risk involved in that, if you only have one physician covering and there's a spike in activity it does create additional risk."

Irwin said the SAH board has been informed of the problems in the emergency department and is taking those problems very seriously.

"There's been a lot of work in the past four weeks to put this stabilization plan together," he said.

Local ER physicians are taking more locum shifts out of town

But Irwin says some of these measures are temporary.

"You can only do so much with the existing facility," he said. "We know we won't be able to move into a new hospital for at least two-and-a-half or three years so we have to make do with what we've got."

He said the stabilization plan was put together to address issues of care for patients right now in the existing facility.

Irwin also said that the plan keeps SAH within the funding allocated by the provincial government.

The recent funding announcement by the province means that funds previously earmarked for the new hospital can now be used to remedy problems in the emergency department, he said.

Irwin added that some of the emergency department physicians currently on staff at SAH have started taking more shifts at out-of-town hospitals as locums, a step often perceived as job-hunting in the medical field.

He hopes that the SAH stabilization plan will convince them to spend more time in the Sault and less time out of town.

The crisis at Sault Area Hospital: full SooToday.com coverage

Hospital shocker - CEO resigns in midst of building project Dalton & Dave blamed for 'crisis' at Sault Area Hospital NDP has no credibility on health care, Orazietti says Hospital in crisis: departing doctors say they're fed up Hospital code blue: administration says it has a plan