Latest FORA Health Update following meeting with Island Health representatives.( Dr Drew Digney, Executive Medical Director NRGH and Shelley Gallant Director OHC). We meet quarterly.
NRGH- Greater use of Operating rooms in winter and less in summer to accommodate seasonal demands of both staff and patients. Electronic record system under government review with our area being the pilot area, not to be expanded elsewhere at this time.
New Government- More focus on mental health, addictions, community services and less on hip and knee surgeries
Wait times for Tests
CT Scan MRI Ultrasound
Urgent 1 day 1 day 2 days
ASAP 20 days 18 days 15 days
Semi Urgent 121 days 118 days 30 days
Routine 195 days 180 days 155 days
Oceanside Health Centre- Urgent Care visits still averaging 68/ day. Complex care patients to be seen in 4 hours or less and simple cases in 2 with success rate of 90 and 80% respectively. Financial compensation plan is working well here for the staff.
Primary Care seeing 730 appointments per month using 3 salaried nurse practitioners backed by urgent care doctors only when required. They have 1800 patients with 25 added per month. At this rate their fee equates to that just below the lowest GP fee.The use of NP's province wide is being studied by the government.
The search for primary care doctors is still ongoing with a reviewed pay scale to be put in place with a plan of 3 or 4 eventually expanding services to 7 day week, 12 hour days.
14 Heart patients seen per day via the ECHO programme.
OHC has 2 psychiatrists.
Local health authorities being subdivided to better care for local demands.
No plans for any expansion at OHC.
Telehealth and home care monitoring available now for certain patients with geriatric, psychiatric, ms, heart and copd issues. FORA questioned how these services were advertised to the public and local docs?
End of Life- 6th hospice bed added at Trillium Lodge with 75% occupancy rate and average19 day stay. Now supported 24/7 by RN, LPN and health care
aid at night.
Medically Assisted Deaths(MAiD)- 25 in Oceanside, 355 on VI over 18 months. Only 1 local doctor with patients having to go outside of the area.
Residential Care Beds
- total of 378 in Parksville with 53 assisted living, 3 respite, 6 end of life.
- total of 225 in Qualicum Beach, 30 assisted living.
- total of 848 in Nanaimo, 98 assisted living, 2 respite.
There are no plans for any new beds which take 4 to 5 years to put in place.
NRGH- Greater use of Operating rooms in winter and less in summer to accommodate seasonal demands of both staff and patients. Electronic record system under government review with our area being the pilot area, not to be expanded elsewhere at this time.
New Government- More focus on mental health, addictions, community services and less on hip and knee surgeries
Wait times for Tests
CT Scan MRI Ultrasound
Urgent 1 day 1 day 2 days
ASAP 20 days 18 days 15 days
Semi Urgent 121 days 118 days 30 days
Routine 195 days 180 days 155 days
Oceanside Health Centre- Urgent Care visits still averaging 68/ day. Complex care patients to be seen in 4 hours or less and simple cases in 2 with success rate of 90 and 80% respectively. Financial compensation plan is working well here for the staff.
Primary Care seeing 730 appointments per month using 3 salaried nurse practitioners backed by urgent care doctors only when required. They have 1800 patients with 25 added per month. At this rate their fee equates to that just below the lowest GP fee.The use of NP's province wide is being studied by the government.
The search for primary care doctors is still ongoing with a reviewed pay scale to be put in place with a plan of 3 or 4 eventually expanding services to 7 day week, 12 hour days.
14 Heart patients seen per day via the ECHO programme.
OHC has 2 psychiatrists.
Local health authorities being subdivided to better care for local demands.
No plans for any expansion at OHC.
Telehealth and home care monitoring available now for certain patients with geriatric, psychiatric, ms, heart and copd issues. FORA questioned how these services were advertised to the public and local docs?
End of Life- 6th hospice bed added at Trillium Lodge with 75% occupancy rate and average19 day stay. Now supported 24/7 by RN, LPN and health care
aid at night.
Medically Assisted Deaths(MAiD)- 25 in Oceanside, 355 on VI over 18 months. Only 1 local doctor with patients having to go outside of the area.
Residential Care Beds
- total of 378 in Parksville with 53 assisted living, 3 respite, 6 end of life.
- total of 225 in Qualicum Beach, 30 assisted living.
- total of 848 in Nanaimo, 98 assisted living, 2 respite.
There are no plans for any new beds which take 4 to 5 years to put in place.
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