Should some rural ERs close permanently if better supports are in place? – CBC

Chronic closures due to staffing shortages worse in rural areas, CBC analysis finds

Dec 10, 2024

Plastic covers new chairs in the pristine waiting area of the Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital’s newly constructed, ‘state-of-the-art’ emergency room (ER), which officially opens for residents in this rural eastern Ontario community in January.

The next challenge will be keeping the doors open. And that hinges on the availability of nurses.

Brad Harrington, the CEO of the Mississippi River Health Alliance, is taking an “if you build it, they will come” approach.

“It’s an absolute key strategy for us in regards to recruitment and retention going forward,” said Harrington.

A CBC data analysis found Carleton Place is one of at least 38 Ontario hospitals whose ER or urgent care centres have experienced closures — about one-fifth of the 176 publicly funded facilities over the past three years.

The data shows more closures in rural and remote areas. The majority — more than 85 per cent — were due to nursing shortages.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/rural-er-issues-should-some-close-permanently-1.7402517