A community in Northern British Columbia is experiencing limited access to emergency medical services due to a shortage of physicians, prompting Northern Health to reduce operating hours at Nats’oojeh Hospital until at least October.
Located in Fort St. James, Nats’oojeh Hospital and Health Centre caters to the local municipality and several remote Indigenous communities in the vicinity.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Northern Health indicated that the hospital lacks sufficient doctors to ensure around-the-clock emergency coverage while also maintaining daytime primary care and preventing physician exhaustion.
Consequently, Northern Health announced that the emergency department will temporarily function on a limited schedule, continuing its search for new physicians and locum support.
According to the health authority, the emergency department will be operational from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, with potential adjustments to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. depending on physician availability.
Weekend availability will be updated weekly, the organization added.
Northern Health anticipates that the limited hours for the emergency department will persist until at least October, though it cannot provide a timeline for when 24/7 service may be reinstated.
The nearest hospital is approximately 60 kilometers away in Vanderhoof.
‘It’s frustrating’
Mayor Martin Elphee of the District of Fort St. James stated that the limited schedule is likely to remain in effect for several weeks.
“We’ve been informed that improvements won’t happen until October,” Elphee noted.
“It’s frustrating. We are doing everything within our power.”
Lisa Zetes-Zanatta, Northern Health’s vice president of clinical operations, mentioned that time will help clarify service availability.
“This is not a long-term reduction,” Zetes-Zanatta emphasized.
“This measure is intended to help the remaining physicians in the community manage their workloads and avoid further burnout.”
Ongoing closures
The mayor reported that there have been four weekends since July 1 when the emergency room was closed due to the doctor shortage, totaling around 75 closures this year.
“This situation is unacceptable,” Elphee stated. “We pay taxes like everyone else, so we deserve the same level of services.”
During after-hours, patients can dial 911 to receive assistance from BCEHS, but Elphee pointed out that it is a lengthy journey from Fort St. James to Vanderhoof or Prince George in an emergency.
There are two sawmills and a mine operating close to the community, along with hockey tournaments and a ski hill in operation during the winter months.
“We cannot simply retreat into ourselves just because we are short on doctors,” he remarked.
Recruitment efforts continuing
The issue of physician shortages has been a persistent challenge for rural and remote areas across Canada in recent years.
Fort St. James has the capacity for eight doctors but is currently functioning at just half that number, with at least one more physician expected to leave before the year concludes, according to Elphee.
Elphee mentioned that additional physicians are anticipated to begin work as early as September, and that local leaders and First Nations have enlisted a healthcare recruiter to collaborate with the health authority.
They are also collaborating with Northern Health on alternative strategies to attract physicians to the area, including promoting local amenities.
“We are a resilient community. We have faced other challenges and always find a way to overcome them,” he stated.
“It’s particularly difficult, especially as we are not responsible for hiring… Our fate currently lies with Northern Health and the province.”
Northern Health has committed to providing regular monthly updates regarding efforts to stabilize and enhance emergency care access in Fort St. James.
“If we can secure locums and avoid further reductions in our physician roster, we might be able to fully reopen the hospital overnight,” Zetes-Zanatta noted.
“That is our objective… to return to our original service level.”