The temporary closure of acute inpatient admissions and emergency room services at the Preeceville & District Health Centre prompted a delegation to attend the regular monthly meeting of the Sunrise Health Region鈥檚 Board of Directors to voice their concerns.
The closures came into effect June 1, with the Region issuing a release stating the services would remain closed until consistent and sustainable on-call physician coverage was secured.
All other services continue, uninterrupted. The Preeceville & District Health Centre facility is not closing, noted the Sunrise website at the time of the announcement. 鈥淚t is only the emergency room and acute inpatient admission beds that are affected. The facility is being fully utilized and staffed.鈥�
Suann Laurent, president and CEO of the Health Region reiterated that position at Wednesday鈥檚 meeting.
鈥淲e never had any intention of closing Preeceville,鈥� she said when asked by group member Jennifer Bayer what the Region鈥檚 long term goal for services in the community.
Brad Romanchuk with Endeavour Council said the closure is a definite concern in his community of 70 people.
鈥淧eople are really quite concerned about our emergency care,鈥� he said, adding several young families have moved into the area and 鈥測oung children tend to have accidents.鈥� Preeceville鈥檚 emergency room is the closest emergency service to Endeavour.
Romanchuk said he appreciates ambulance service remains available, but cited 鈥渄epending on road conditions we have some real concerns there too.鈥�
That left him with two simple questions, 鈥淐an Sunrise Health Region offer our people some reassurances we鈥檒l have our emergency back in short order?鈥� and 鈥淚s there any way emergency can be open in July and August when a lot of people are around at community events?鈥�
Laurent said the services are planned to be reinstated, but not before October, when new doctors are anticipated to be arriving in Preeceville.
Two new physicians are heading to Preeceville, Sask., to fill a gap in medical services that saw the suspension of emergency room services in the community.
One new doctor will be joining Preeceville鈥檚 primary health care team on Oct. 1, the Sunrise Health Region said Laurent.
Another doctor is currently undergoing the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment. That doctor is scheduled to begin in October as well, pending completion of the assessment. 聽
Laurent said the group鈥檚 effort should now be on how to keep the new doctors in Preeceville.
鈥淗ow are we going to retain the doctors?鈥� she questioned, adding the answer to the question can certainly have community input.
Retention will be critical in order to stabilize services.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 have it off, on, off, like it has been for years,鈥� said Laurent. 鈥溾�� We have to look at a plan and model where we can have consistency.鈥�
As for the exact level of service which lies ahead for Preeceville and area, that is far from finalized.
Laurent said on October, when the new doctors arrive, there will be 鈥渁 conversation about what they want to do.鈥� She added the doctors have to be willing to work within whatever system is created, or they will soon look to move to someplace where they feel more comfortable. 鈥淲hat do the new providers want to provide and how do we keep them 鈥� The people who have to build the mode; are the providers that are coming 鈥� We want to build it with them.鈥�
That may mean emergency services return but on a scheduled basis, likely meaning extended hours, but not 24-hours, seven days a week.
鈥淧eople want quality of life,鈥� said Laurent, and that does not include being constantly on-call.
Dr. Phillip Fourie, Senior Medical Officer & VP of Medical Services said the old way is not working.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been struggling for more than 10 years鈥� to find physicians willing to provide on-call services.
Fourie said doctors are simply seeking work-life balance and that includes not being always on-call.
A different system can be effective though, continued Fourie, who noted most of the most serious emergency cases do not roll in in the middle of the night. He said farmers are not as active in the field at night, nor people driving their cars, nor children at play, all activities where emergency accidents can more often occur.
And, the model would also likely see the clinic open longer hours opening up more appointment slots for people too.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 tell you everything about what the model will look like,鈥� said Laurent. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 landed on anything.鈥�
However, she warned if the community expects physicians to work 24/7 鈥測ou will run them out of town.鈥� adding that is why they will look to a different model come October.
