Interior Health issues update on 100 Mile House Emergency Department - 100 Mile Free Press
Interior Health is assuring the public it continues to work to stabilize emergency department services in 100 Mile House. On Monday, July 6, IH issued a release stating its task force, formed to address. . .
Interior Health is assuring the public it continues to work to stabilize emergency department services in 100 Mile House. On Monday, July 6, IH issued a release stating its task force, formed to address frequent closures of the 100 Mile District General Hospital’s Emergency Room, is continuing to work to solve the problem. This release comes after the ER was closed on both Sunday, July 5 and Monday, July 6, for several hours, though IH was able to cover part of Sunday’s closure, with the ER only being closed Sunday morning rather than all day until 8 p. m. as originally announced. 100 Mile House’s ER has been closed 23 times so far this year. “As stabilization of Emergency Department services progress, we are committed to providing residents with access to safe, high-quality emergency care, and are working hard to maintain 24/7 emergency department services,” IH stated. “Today, we are updating the community on the task force’s most recent efforts, which have considered input from the mayor (of 100 Mile House), the Cariboo Chilcotin Regional Hospital District, Indigenous communities and the Division of Family Practice. ”IH said that, recently, two new primary care providers have arrived in 100 Mile House and are now accepting new patients who have registered on the BC Health Connect Registry. In addition to these new arrivals, IH said it expects three more primary care providers to arrive in 2027 via the Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) program. These new healthcare providers are expected to help support emergency room coverage. Outside of recruitment, IH said they are exploring the opportunity to integrate nurse practitioners (NPs) “more fully” into emergency departments. “This approach would see IH-employed NPs working in collaboration with physicians, while supporting the thoughtful, phased expansion of NP scope of practice to improve access and continuity of care,” IH stated. Healthcare worker accommodations also remain a focus for IH and the task force. IH said it has teamed up with the Division of Family Practice to establish housing programs for travelling staff and medical staff. This has been done by securing leases in the community for long-term accommodations and access to hotel accommodations for shorter stays. “Discussions are also ongoing about a potential virtual care model in the ED to safely support local care needs, reduce service interruptions and help support physician workload,” IH added. Despite these efforts, IH admitted that staffing remains a challenge, especially during the summer months, due to a combination of vacations and broader workforce shortages. These shortages are most likely to impact weekend coverage, as they did this past weekend. “IH is actively reviewing and coordinating schedules to identify gaps and is doing everything we can to fill them wherever possible through locum and staffing coverage options,” IH said. During this time, IH listed several ways the public can help reduce demand for ER services in 100 Mile House. Firstly, IH suggests using primary care clinics for non-urgent needs, noting that same-day primary care appointments are available through local physicians and their offices. IH said that connecting with your physician or NP for these non-urgent matters will alleviate pressure on ER wait times. Another option is booking a pharmacy appointment. IH explained that in addition to prescriptions, pharmacists can offer consultation on minor ailments and other health needs. IH also recommends that if you do see your physician for care and a follow-up appointment is required, you consider booking your next appointment right away. This will help avoid longer wait times. “Register for a primary care provider on the BC Health Connect Registry: Information from this registry helps determine the number of physicians in communities, including 100 Mile House,” IH listed. Finally, IH requests that the community fill out the community health survey, which is currently being run. The Central Interior Rural Division of Family Practice wants to know how 100 Mile House area residents are accessing public health care. “The information collected will support future health-care planning,” IH said. “The survey is active until July 25, 2026, and participants may remain anonymous. ”This survey is available online atsurveymonkey. com/r/6BLSVJ2.