Northern Health Talks About ER Dollars

By 250 News

In the wake of the announcement of funding made available to improve Emergency room services in B.C., Prince George Regional Hospital is already making some plans.

Although it has yet to name the special team which will focus on the ideas, the hospital is hoping the funding will allow it to move forward with some projects already being developed.

Hospital CEO, Michael  Mac Millan , says  it is a matter of setting priorities “We will have to pick the projects which we can implement soon, which we can do well, and will make the biggest improvement on how quickly a patient moves through the system.”

Right now, 65% of the patients who come in to PGRH through Emergency (and who need to be admitted) are admitted within ten hours.   Northern Health would like to see that improved to 80%.

One of the projects that might ease the ER pressure would have a home care nurse stationed in emergency.  That nurse could then arrange to have special home care for a patient who would then be fast tracked to have consultation with a specialist.

PGRH has about 50 thousand patients come through the doors of its emergency department every year, of that number, about 9% will need to be admitted.  Northern Health CEO Malcolm Maxwell says that while PGRH has seen pressure, it is performing better than most hospitals.  He says there is no evidence of anyone dying as a result of crowding or having to wait for care.

The province has announced $7 million dollars will be made available to implement programs that can improve the ER access and  admission times at 14 hospitals.   Although the funding is a positive step,  Northern Health CEO  Malcom Maxwell says putting the dollars into perspective, an equal share among the 14 hospitals would mean $500 thousand  for PGRH, which is  1/10th of 1% of Northern Health’s annual budget.

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