Some regional hospitals getting high volume of patients amid Ontario-wide health-care staff shortage
CBC
Ontario's health-care staff shortage is being felt at hospitals in the Waterloo region, with people being told to avoid the emergency department (ED) or to expect long wait times.
Wendy James, manager of St. Mary's General Hospital emergency department, said the number of patients being cared for "is higher than normal."
James is advising people that if their needs are non-emergent in nature, they should continue to access options available within the community, whenever possible, such as their primary care provider or their nearest walk-in clinic.
"We ask for everyone's patience as our teams prioritize the needs of each patient," James said in a written statement to CBC K-W.
"As a region, we continue to work together as a system of care to support patients in our community."
In spite of the challenges, James said, the emergency department remains open.
"Our team is here to provide high-quality care, and if you are in need of emergency care, please do not hesitate to go to your nearest hospital or call 911."
Emergency departments across Ontario have had to close for hours or days at a time this summer, and health-care officials say that's due to a nurse staffing crisis. Some small rural hospitals have been hit harder than larger urban hospitals.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Sylvia Jones said "all options are on the table" to deal with the province's major staff shortage problem, and didn't rule out privatization as a potential solution.
Cambridge Memorial Hospital spokesperson Stephan Beckhoff said up to 33 staff have been off at certain times this summer due to COVID-19.
Beckhoff said people should be aware that emergency department wait times are higher than what's listed on the hospital's website.
According to Beckhoff, this is due to the hospital being at capacity, with 94 per cent of medicine beds being occupied while being short-staffed.
"When this happens, admitted patients wait in the emergency department. This in turn takes ED clinicians away from those waiting to be seen as they now have to care for very sick patients," Beckhoff said.
Beckhoff said they are experiencing "higher patient volumes, most of whom are coming into the ED very sick."
Women and children staying at Regina Transition House now have access to Santa’s workshop — a safe space where mothers can choose Christmas gifts for their children.
A man from Powell River, B.C., is thankful to be alive after a stranger helped him while he was choking at a restaurant during a visit to Whistler.
When it comes to Hamilton readers' favourite library books of 2025, romance and mysteries are in close competition.
From the Detroit Lions losing to Apple iPhones that spontaneously update, Windsorites had things that bugged them this year.
Calgary emergency rooms are “in a state of critical overcapacity” ahead of the anticipated peak of flu season — and to cope with the surge and wait-room crowding, officials are urging doctors to speed up their decisions on whether to admit patients, according to a memo obtained by CBC News.
Northern Ontario's highway system needs improvements in order to make travel safer, a highway safety advocate said.
Hundreds of thousands of used tires are piling up across Ontario as some companies responsible for tire recycling have stopped processing tires amid reduced provincial recycling regulations for tire producers, industry experts say.
People in Guelph facing homelessness will soon have a new place to go during the day.
Islanders are reminded to plan their rides ahead of holiday festivities if they plan on drinking alcohol or using cannabis.
Even before Gwen Healey Akearok began her new role as Nunavut’s Minister of Family Services, she was tuning into the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) hearings on the state of the Family Services department.
The racial reckoning of the COVID era saw Canada grapple with its checkered past — a process that led to statues of some foundational figures being removed, in some instances by force.
Holiday traditions are front and centre for many people at this time of year. But one Uxbridge family's Christmas tradition goes above and beyond the standard Christmas carols or holiday party.
A pedestrian is dead, and police are investigating following a collision in a north London parking lot on Tuesday afternoon.