Anticipated Interruptions to Emergency Department Services
5-7-2022
NOTICE OF TEMPORARY CLOSURE:
The Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital (RLMCMH) and the Red Lake Medical Associates have been unable to staff 12 hours of the July 7th to 8th Emergency Department Physician shift. Unless our current situation changes, the Emergency Department will be closed as a result. We are notifying the public and other healthcare providers so they may plan, in the event of a medical emergency, during this Emergency Department closure.
PHYSICIAN COVERAGE SHORTAGE:
The RLMCMH Emergency Department will be closed from 8:00 pm on Thursday, July 7, 2022 until 8:00 am on Friday, July 8, 2022.
*Patients should only come to the RLMCMH Emergency Department when it reopens, at 8:00 am on Friday July 8, 2022*
What if you need emergency care during the closure?
· People with serious, emergent health problems should call 911 and request ambulance assistance for transport to the nearest hospital Emergency Department, available to offer treatment.
· For less emergent health problems, please call the Telehealth Line at 1-866-797-0000.
· You may choose to travel to the next closest Emergency Department, which is in Dryden, Ontario.
We have been working hard to find physician coverage to avert this closure. We wholeheartedly want to avoid our community being in this situation. We will provide an update, should the situation change.
A pervasive lack of Health Human Resources in many professions has caused a serious strain on the delivery of care in Northwestern Ontario. This includes Physician shortages, which have been a threat to health care delivery for many years. The Hospital and the Red Lake Medical Associates continue to advocate for equitable access to necessary healthcare resources, and to seek long-term solutions to address human resource shortages in our area.