Kemptville District Hospital resumes 24-hour emergency services
Posted Sep 7, 2022 01:15:00 AM.
An eastern Ontario hospital's emergency department (ED) has resumed 24-hour operations after it was closed for six days as a result of a staffing shortage.
The Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) reopened its emergency department at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6. after closing it temporarily on Aug. 31 until Sept. 5.
“I am very pleased to announce that our staffing situation has stabilized and we can once again ensure that all employees and physicians have a safe work environment and our patients can receive safe care – care that they have come to expect from KDH,” said Frank Vassallo, KDH’s chief executive officer (CEO). “We are grateful to our community for their patience during the temporary partial closure.”
Vassallo stated that KDH continues to monitor staffing levels and is taking steps to prevent future closures, including actively recruiting new nurses, working with temporary staffing agencies, and evaluating different staffing strategies and alternate models of care.
“It’s important to remember that these are unprecedented and fluid times relative to health human resources,” he added. “As such, future ED closures could occur even in the face of extraordinary efforts to keep the department open 24/7.”
KDH was one of four eastern Ontario hospitals to experience an emergency department closure over the Labour Day weekend. The Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria, Ontario and the Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital both closed their emergency departments overnight on Saturday, Sept. 3 while the Almonte General Hospital was closed on the evening of Monday, Sept. 5.
