Data shows Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria has the highest ER closures in Ontario in the past 12 months
Posted Feb 22, 2023 06:30:00 PM.
An eastern Ontario hospital has been determined the worst in the province when it comes to emergency department (ED) closures over the past 12 months.
Recent data collected by the Toronto Star shows the ED at the Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital (HGMH) in Alexandria closed 38 times in the past year, the highest in the province.
Robert Alldred-Hughes, the president and chief executive officer (CEO), Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria, Ontario, told Wake Up With Rob Snow on Feb. 22 that the reason the hospital's emergency department suffered so many overnight ED closures over the past 12 months is due to staffing levels, which are heightened in rural hospitals due to unplanned leaves and absences.
“It doesn't take much, it's one sick call away, and not being able to replace someone, it does cause staffing pressures and concerns, so it's a very fragile staffing model,” he said.
Listen to the full interview with Robert Alldred-Hughes below:
