A new portal is being launched by Northern Health to help residents know how to access healthcare in the event local services are interrupted.
The new emergency department status website lists every hospital and health centre in the health authority along with if its open or closed.
“When emergency departments are temporarily unavailable for any reason, the most important thing for someone facing a medical emergency is knowing where to go for care,” said Minister of Health Josie Osborne.
According to the province, Northern Health examined various models and determined that the status of local emergency departments is more informative than comparisons of wait times between facilities.
“Given the geographic realities of a region as large as Northern Health, where hospital facilities are relatively distant from one another, current emergency department status is the key information for community residents to have access to,” said Lisa Zetes-Zanatta, Northern Health Vice President of Clinical Operations.
The website also lists information for what someone experiencing a life threatening emergency, or non-urgent care should do if a service interruption occurs.
“Our partners in patient transport are always aware of local ED operations and challenges and of the need to ensure patients are transported to the appropriate facility for their care,” said Zetes-Zanatta.
The new website is available here.
With files from Logan Flint, My Bulkley Lakes Now staff.
