The NWT’s health minister says a new staffing model at Stanton Territorial Hospital’s emergency room will “better distribute workloads, improve patient care, and reduce burnout.”
Physicians say it’s less a new model and more “long-overdue recognition of how the department has been operating for years.”
In recent weeks, doctors have said the Yellowknife emergency room – relied upon by the entire territory – is so critically under-staffed that for the first time, employees are wondering if it might have to simply close down.
Healthcare leaders, including minister Lesa Semmler, have insisted the ER will not close and pledged to find solutions.
This week, Semmler issued a statement setting out some of the work the territory is doing to keep the Stanton ER staffed and support NWT physicians.
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“Although there are currently some unfilled shifts in the coming weeks, the NTHSSA has contingency plans in place and are working daily to fill any remaining gaps,” she wrote, using an initialism for the territory’s health authority.
“The strain is real, and addressing it is our top priority.”
The GNWT has already announced better rates for locum physicians – those who come to the territory temporarily to fill gaps. (Doctors who live in the territory say better pay for those who live here must follow.)
Semmler said there is now also a new staffing model that will “introduce four Emergency Room Physician (ERP) shifts per day to better distribute workloads, improve patient care, and reduce burnout.”
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Physicians’ body the NWT Medical Association, however, disputed that characterization.
“Let’s be clear: there are no new physicians being added,” the association wrote in response to questions from Cabin Radio.
“The department has had four shifts per day since 2019. What’s new is the funding to finally support one of those shifts properly. This isn’t an expansion of service.”
The NWTMA said the new schedule “better aligns with peak patient volume but actually reduces total physician coverage by one hour per day, instead of adding a shift, as was recommended.”
More broadly, the association said physicians on the front line felt “dismissed” and their concerns minimized.
“Last week our physicians were keeping the Stanton Territorial Hospital Emergency Department open with 75% physician staffing. That impacts not only in-person care, but our ability to support nurses and physicians through the territory over the phone, and to coordinate patient transport,” the association stated.
“Patients faced 12 hour long waits and physicians had to stay at work long after their scheduled shifts. Simultaneously, Hay River Hospital had no physician on site, which required them to send their sickest patients to Yellowknife.”
Pointing to the added complication of a recent confirmed measles case in the territorial capital, the association added: “There remains a near-term staffing crisis in Stanton ER. There are still multiple days in May where levels are inadequate to run the ER safely. Time is getting short, and contingency plans have not been announced.”
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‘This is difficult work’
Semmler said other improvements include a physician services budget that “now reflects baseline operational needs, allowing for more appropriate long-term planning.”
That funding includes support for the likes of a medical director and assistant territorial medical director, Semmler stated, roles that physicians have said are sorely needed.
Semmler also celebrated what she called “targeted efforts” that have resulted in new hires for the physician team, including both at Stanton and in the broader Yellowknife region.
The minister thanked staff attending various town hall meetings over the past year for what she called “honest and meaningful feedback about leadership, culture, and operational realities.”
“This input has already helped inform system-wide improvements and will continue to guide us as we work to build a more responsive and sustainable health system,” Semmler wrote.
“I am grateful for the continued efforts of all staff and physicians working across the NWT. This is difficult work, and we are committed to listening and responding to concerns.”
Despite its criticisms, the NWTMA acknowledged that some changes were taking place.
“They are evidence that calls for change have been heard and progress is being made,” the associated stated.
“That said, further work is required, and tweaks may be needed to some announced policies.”
