“Grim summer at best” forecast for Roseway ER

The hospital is already struggling with fewer physicians to share the load of staffing the ER, and summer vacations will be making the situation even more challenging.

Deputy chief of staff, Dr. John Keeler, and site manager, Jodie Ybarra, informed the Town of Clark’s Harbour council on June 3 of the looming crisis.

Dr. Keeler works at a clinic located next to the hospital and also in the Roseway emergency room. He says his office practice tends to suffer at the expense of trying to keep the hospital ER running.

“It’s a considerable challenge,” he said.

Ybarra predicts a grim summer at best for the ER.

“It’s going to be quite a shock to the community when there are as many closures as there will be,” she said.

“I’m concentrating on the weekends (staying open).”

“I can’t give a number”, she said with reference to the expected number of closure days, “but it’s going to be significant.”

South West Health is continuing to try to secure physician coverage for all Emergency Department shifts.

Rather than writing prospective physicians a blank cheque, Dr. Keeler suggested a better approach to attracting younger, newer doctors that will stay.

“We hope to come up with a group that looks at recruitment in a slightly different way. Instead of ponying up as much as they can afford we want to come up with a plan to build a state-of the art facility that newer doctors want to have, to entice them to come and stay,” he said.

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South West Health has released an updated updated Roseway Hospital Emergency Department schedule for this week:

The ER will be closed - Thursday, June 12, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

It will be open - Friday, June 13, from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday, June 14

Shelburne County residents requiring emergency services should visit Yarmouth Regional Hospital Emergency Department (60 Vancouver St.,Yarmouth) or Queens General Hospital, Liverpool.