Health Sciences North (HSN) is experiencing a surge of patients requiring admission to hospital. HSN is working closely with local and regional health care providers to make hospital beds available for patients.
Some of the measures HSN is taking to create safe access to acute care services include:
- Overflow areas are being created in units across HSN.
- Non-urgent surgeries are being cancelled. All critical surgeries continue to be performed.
- HSN is working with regional hospitals to arrange for the transfer of out-of-town patients back to their community.
- HSN is asking long-term care and nursing homes to avoid transfers of residents to hospital if there is a physician available to treat them on site.
- HSN is asking the public to consider alternatives to the ED for non-urgent care, such as walk-in clinics and their family doctors.
- HSN’s Mental Health Crisis Intervention Service on Cedar Street is available until 10 pm nightly to help people in crisis.
HSN wants to reassure the community that critical urgent services continue to be available.
The current situation is expected to take several days to resolve. People coming to the ED for non-urgent care may experience longer-than-usual delays. HSN thanks the public for their understanding and patience during this time.
Visit the HSN website for more information: http://bit.ly/1OgdkpU
Alternate options to the ED for non-urgent care: http://bit.ly/21MwZro
Mental Health Crisis Intervention Services: http://bit.ly/1osq998