Latest news with #DrJeffEppler
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Pediatric ward closure in Kelowna triggers fears of ripple effect in B.C. hospitals
A treatment room in the emergency department at Peter Lougheed hospital is pictured in, Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Dr. Jeff Eppler, an emergency room physician at Kelowna General Hospital, is getting ready for a hectic summer. He's not only thinking about the typical seasonal spike — but the ripple effects of the closure of the hospital's dedicated pediatric ward from May 26 to July 4 due to what Interior Health called 'limited physician availability.' 'It's very difficult, but then you throw this pediatric service disruption in … (it's) just going make our life a lot more difficult, especially as we go into the summer, as things become much busier,' he said. Eppler said ER staff would have to treat some children who would typically be directed onward to pediatrics. 'We can provide safe and effective acute care, but rely on our pediatric colleagues for their support and far deeper knowledge, as well as for providing ongoing care. We cannot be de facto pediatricians as a long-term solution to this current crisis,' he said. And Eppler predicted the resource drain would extend outside the hospital, to ambulance services, as Kelowna General is forced to send other children to other hospitals, in Vernon, Penticton, or potentially even the Kootenays more than 300 kilometres away. Typically, it's the other way around. 'So it's kind of reverse of what we normally do,' Eppler said. 'That certainly ties up ambulances, resources, and it's not great for families or kids, who have a one-to-four hour drive to the other centre.' The closure of Kelowna's pediatric ward is part of ongoing hospital staffing shortages that have caused rolling closures of emergency rooms across the province. Service disruptions at the pediatric ward and concerns about the state of care at Kelowna General are also not new. But the abrupt nature of the pediatric closure last week, and a recent warning from doctors about maternity care is putting one of the province's biggest regional hospitals in the spotlight. Nine doctors working in the department of obstetrics and gynecology released a statement last month warning about a 'growing crisis' in maternity care putting the 'safety of patients and newborns' at 'serious risk' unless officials take immediate actions. They said primary maternity care at the hospital was 'facing a collapse' as early as June 1 because of a 'critical shortage' of family physicians willing or able to provide such care. 'This means that many pregnant patients may arrive at the hospital in labour with no doctor available to provide safe, continuous care during delivery.' Then came the closure of the pediatric ward last week. It should have 12 full-time pediatricians, Interior Health said, but when it closed, staffing was put at five and a half doctors. Susan Brown, president and chief executive officer of Interior Health, said the ward was closed to 'preserve the higher level of care' offered by the pediatricians, who will be redeployed. 'So that would be on our neonatal intensive care unit and some other work at the site,' she said. 'So we've done that to ensure safe patient care, but also thinking about the wellness and retention of the medical staff who continue to go above and beyond.' The hospital with 497 beds received 95,022 emergency room visits in 2023-24, according to Interior Health. It not only serves Greater Kelowna with an estimated population of 235,000, but is also one of two 'tertiary referral hospitals' providing specialized and complex care to a larger region that is home to almost 900,000 people. Adriane Gear, president of the BC Nurses' Union, said nurses at Kelowna General are now responsible for managing acutely ill pediatric patients in an 'already strained emergency department setting' not designed for ongoing pediatric in-patient care. 'This compromises safety, delays treatment, and can increase the risk of poor outcomes,' she said in a letter shared by the union. 'Nurses entered this profession to deliver safe, high quality care — not to be forced into situations that put their patients at risk.' Eppler meanwhile predicted the pediatric ward closure would worsen ER wait times. 'We definitely provide good quality care, but it's becoming increasingly challenging, even before this disruption in pediatric services,' he said. 'We have been coping really for years, and we have been sounding the alarm for a long time, like a broken record.' Eppler said overcrowding 'is really contributing to moral injury and burnout' among physicians and nursing staff. A report from the Montreal Economic Institute released this month said that the median length of a stay in Kelowna General's emergency room was three hours and 24 minutes, lower than the provincial figure of four hours, 13 minutes. Eppler said about 10 per cent of ER admissions involve children. 'On some days, none of those pediatric patients, once they're seen, will need to go in the hospital,' he says. 'But some days, we might admit three or four of them.' Eppler said Wednesday that seven transfers of pediatric patients from Kelowna General to other hospitals had taken place since the ward closure, a figure confirmed by Interior Health. 'But I know those numbers are gonna go up there,' he said. 'So you are gonna see sick children that are going to need admission, and we are going have to transport these patients, if there are beds available at other centres.' Mayor Everett Baker of Grand Forks, a community of some 4,100 about 200 kilometres southeast of Kelowna, said he was concerned about the situation at Kelowna General. Grand Forks has a community hospital with nine ER beds, but depends on other hospitals for more specialized services. Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital is Grand Forks' primary hospital for pediatric care, but Kelowna General had served as a secondary destination, he said. While the closure of the pediatric ward at Kelowna had not yet had an impact on Grand Forks, he agreed with Eppler's prediction of ripple effects throughout the region. 'If there's something that goes on in Kelowna, it can't help but affect other regions just because it is such a major hospital,' Baker said. Small rural communities have fewer options than urban areas, he said. 'It's a different dynamic because in Vancouver, you might have four or five different hospitals … you can access.' Brown said Interior Health was also concerned about the effects of the pediatric closure on other hospitals. She said the ER department would remain open to any pediatric patients. 'But should your child need to be transferred to an alternate site, we have added resources to ensure that there's time to do that in a safe way,' she said. Brown said an additional pediatrician would arrive in July with two more in September. But she could not commit to reopening the ward on July 5, saying the date would be set in consultation with doctors. B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said Friday that she had talked with Brown about recruitment at Kelowna General. She said her ministry was working with doctors to ensure services are in place during a 'very, very challenging time.' Osborne added that recruitment issues at the hospital should be seen within the 'context of a global health care worker shortage.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Pediatric ward closure in Kelowna triggers fears of ripple effect in B.C. hospitals
A treatment room in the emergency department at Peter Lougheed hospital is pictured in, Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Dr. Jeff Eppler, an emergency room physician at Kelowna General Hospital, is getting ready for a hectic summer. He's not only thinking about the typical seasonal spike — but the ripple effects of the closure of the hospital's dedicated pediatric ward from May 26 to July 4 due to what Interior Health called 'limited physician availability.' 'It's very difficult, but then you throw this pediatric service disruption in … (it's) just going make our life a lot more difficult, especially as we go into the summer, as things become much busier,' he said. Eppler said ER staff would have to treat some children who would typically be directed onward to pediatrics. 'We can provide safe and effective acute care, but rely on our pediatric colleagues for their support and far deeper knowledge, as well as for providing ongoing care. We cannot be de facto pediatricians as a long-term solution to this current crisis,' he said. And Eppler predicted the resource drain would extend outside the hospital, to ambulance services, as Kelowna General is forced to send other children to other hospitals, in Vernon, Penticton, or potentially even the Kootenays more than 300 kilometres away. Typically, it's the other way around. 'So it's kind of reverse of what we normally do,' Eppler said. 'That certainly ties up ambulances, resources, and it's not great for families or kids, who have a one-to-four hour drive to the other centre.' The closure of Kelowna's pediatric ward is part of ongoing hospital staffing shortages that have caused rolling closures of emergency rooms across the province. Service disruptions at the pediatric ward and concerns about the state of care at Kelowna General are also not new. But the abrupt nature of the pediatric closure last week, and a recent warning from doctors about maternity care is putting one of the province's biggest regional hospitals in the spotlight. Nine doctors working in the department of obstetrics and gynecology released a statement last month warning about a 'growing crisis' in maternity care putting the 'safety of patients and newborns' at 'serious risk' unless officials take immediate actions. They said primary maternity care at the hospital was 'facing a collapse' as early as June 1 because of a 'critical shortage' of family physicians willing or able to provide such care. 'This means that many pregnant patients may arrive at the hospital in labour with no doctor available to provide safe, continuous care during delivery.' Then came the closure of the pediatric ward last week. It should have 12 full-time pediatricians, Interior Health said, but when it closed, staffing was put at five and a half doctors. Susan Brown, president and chief executive officer of Interior Health, said the ward was closed to 'preserve the higher level of care' offered by the pediatricians, who will be redeployed. 'So that would be on our neonatal intensive care unit and some other work at the site,' she said. 'So we've done that to ensure safe patient care, but also thinking about the wellness and retention of the medical staff who continue to go above and beyond.' The hospital with 497 beds received 95,022 emergency room visits in 2023-24, according to Interior Health. It not only serves Greater Kelowna with an estimated population of 235,000, but is also one of two 'tertiary referral hospitals' providing specialized and complex care to a larger region that is home to almost 900,000 people. Adriane Gear, president of the BC Nurses' Union, said nurses at Kelowna General are now responsible for managing acutely ill pediatric patients in an 'already strained emergency department setting' not designed for ongoing pediatric in-patient care. 'This compromises safety, delays treatment, and can increase the risk of poor outcomes,' she said in a letter shared by the union. 'Nurses entered this profession to deliver safe, high quality care — not to be forced into situations that put their patients at risk.' Eppler meanwhile predicted the pediatric ward closure would worsen ER wait times. 'We definitely provide good quality care, but it's becoming increasingly challenging, even before this disruption in pediatric services,' he said. 'We have been coping really for years, and we have been sounding the alarm for a long time, like a broken record.' Eppler said overcrowding 'is really contributing to moral injury and burnout' among physicians and nursing staff. A report from the Montreal Economic Institute released this month said that the median length of a stay in Kelowna General's emergency room was three hours and 24 minutes, lower than the provincial figure of four hours, 13 minutes. Eppler said about 10 per cent of ER admissions involve children. 'On some days, none of those pediatric patients, once they're seen, will need to go in the hospital,' he says. 'But some days, we might admit three or four of them.' Eppler said Wednesday that seven transfers of pediatric patients from Kelowna General to other hospitals had taken place since the ward closure, a figure confirmed by Interior Health. 'But I know those numbers are gonna go up there,' he said. 'So you are gonna see sick children that are going to need admission, and we are going have to transport these patients, if there are beds available at other centres.' Mayor Everett Baker of Grand Forks, a community of some 4,100 about 200 kilometres southeast of Kelowna, said he was concerned about the situation at Kelowna General. Grand Forks has a community hospital with nine ER beds, but depends on other hospitals for more specialized services. Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital is Grand Forks' primary hospital for pediatric care, but Kelowna General had served as a secondary destination, he said. While the closure of the pediatric ward at Kelowna had not yet had an impact on Grand Forks, he agreed with Eppler's prediction of ripple effects throughout the region. 'If there's something that goes on in Kelowna, it can't help but affect other regions just because it is such a major hospital,' Baker said. Small rural communities have fewer options than urban areas, he said. 'It's a different dynamic because in Vancouver, you might have four or five different hospitals … you can access.' Brown said Interior Health was also concerned about the effects of the pediatric closure on other hospitals. She said the ER department would remain open to any pediatric patients. 'But should your child need to be transferred to an alternate site, we have added resources to ensure that there's time to do that in a safe way,' she said. Brown said an additional pediatrician would arrive in July with two more in September. But she could not commit to reopening the ward on July 5, saying the date would be set in consultation with doctors. B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said Friday that she had talked with Brown about recruitment at Kelowna General. She said her ministry was working with doctors to ensure services are in place during a 'very, very challenging time.' Osborne added that recruitment issues at the hospital should be seen within the 'context of a global health care worker shortage.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
CBC
24-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Pediatric unit at Kelowna hospital to close for at least 6 weeks amid doctor shortage
An emergency department physician is sounding the alarm about staffing shortages within Interior Health following the announcement of an extended closure of the pediatric unit at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH). In a statement, Interior Health says the service disruption to the KGH's 10-bed inpatient general pediatrics unit will start Monday and last at least six weeks as pediatricians will be moved to the neonatal intensive care unit and high-risk deliveries. The health authority says it is making the temporary changes to pediatric care at the hospital to address scheduling gaps due to limited physician availability. Dr. Jeff Eppler, an emergency department physician at KGH, said parents shouldn't hesitate to bring their sick child to the emergency department to get the care they need. "I think the contingency will be if the sick child comes in ... if they need to be admitted then they are going to be staying in [the] emergency department," he said. Eppler said there had been some planning for disruptions in pediatric services, "but we were never prepared to become what is essentially a de facto pediatric ward." Dr. Hussam Azzam, Interior Health's executive medical director in community and maternity care, said that staff can make arrangements to have a young patient transferred to another hospital, hopefully within the Interior Health region. Eppler is critical of how the news was communicated to staff, saying they found out about the service interruption through a press release less than a week before the closure. Azzam said there have been shorter periods of interrupted coverage in KGH's pediatric department over the last few months due to "a chronic shortage of pediatricians" at the hospital who can look after inpatients. Eppler said he and other hospital staff knew there were going to be some disruptions to pediatric services that could last a day or even a few days, but they had no idea that a closure would last for more than a month. "I suspect this situation has been brewing for a lot longer and we should have been notified much sooner so we could do better planning," Eppler said. "This affects our department greatly because we're already often short nurses." Interior Health said the interruption in service only affects children who need to be admitted to the general pediatric unit. All critical care services for children — including the emergency department and neonatal intensive care unit — are open. Recruiting pediatricians challenging, says health minister B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said the decision to shutter the pediatric unit for at least six weeks was a difficult one, noting that recruiting staff amid a global shortage of health-care workers is a challenge. "Pediatricians generally has been a specialty that's been more difficult to recruit to and Kelowna is not alone in experiencing these kinds of shortages," Osborne said. Azzam said they are constantly working to improve recruitment efforts. "We are hoping that there is at least one pediatrician [who] will be joining us in in the summer, so that will hopefully alleviate the pressure," he said. Eppler said it's important to emphasize that he and his emergency department colleagues will continue to provide patients with the care they need.
