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CBC
7 days ago
- Health
- CBC
N.L. promises MCP coverage for private rehab centre as demand soars
Newfoundland and Labrador's health minister has given her word that the province's medical care plan (MCP) will cover treatments at a new private rehabilitation centre. Vida Nova Recovery, located a 40-minute drive from St. John's, says it will nearly double the capacity of adult inpatient rehab services in the province, aiming to add 24 beds by the end of this year and 54 when the centre is fully functional. With the province's decision to grant MCP coverage, the centre's co-founder says the people filling those beds won't have to worry about how to pay for it. "There was only one way to do this," said Ryan Kirby. "It was never for a select few people. It was for everybody." Ryan Kirby is a co-founder of Vida Nova Recovery. His own struggle with addiction sparked the idea for the centre. (Ryan Cooke/CBC) Kirby said the group was in discussions with the provincial government for 18 months without a firm commitment, leading to Vida Nova Recovery penning a public letter last month urging members of the House of Assembly to voice their support for the project. The group says it heard from more than a dozen public officials, including Premier John Hogan. Then, last Tuesday, Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell wrote a letter to Kirby and his group promising to provide MCP coverage. Longer wait times, more referrals, flat-lined supply Kirby says it couldn't come at a better time. The province has seen a 50 per cent spike in demand for rehab beds in the last five years to a high of 663 referrals last year, according to statistics obtained by CBC News through access to information requests. Median wait times at the end of each fiscal year climbed from 36 days in 2020-2021 to 69 days in 2024-2025. In Labrador City, advocate Keith Fitzpatrick said people are being given even longer wait times. "We have people locally who just finished paperwork and they're being told 16 weeks," he told CBC News. "Sixteen weeks is a death sentence for a lot of people suffering addictions." WATCH | Demand for inpatient rehab is growing. A new facility hopes to help: Private rehab centre on Salmonier Line finally gets government to commit to MCP coverage The Newfoundland and Labrador government will cover people, via MCP, who go to the Vida Nova Recovery centre. The private, inpatient rehabilitation centre comes at a time when demand is rising and wait times have been getting longer. The CBC's Ryan Cooke has the story. Despite the growing demand for services, Fitzpatrick said the province didn't add capacity to the public system, which mostly consists of rehab centres in Harbour Grace and Corner Brook. A person will typically spend around five days in a detox facility, Fitzpatrick said, before being released to wait for a bed to open in a rehab centre. The longer the wait time, the more hopeless a person can feel. "People are dying or are going to die waiting for rehab," he said. Fitzpatrick says Vida Nova Recovery gaining MCP status could play a huge role in reducing those wait times and saving lives. Dr. Tony Parrell will serve as the medical director for Vida Nova Recovery. (Ryan Cooke/CBC) Dr. Tony Parrell, the medical director for Vida Nova Recovery, agrees. The centre aims to bring a chain of services — detox, rehab and transitional housing — together in one place. Without wait times in between each step in the process, Parrell said they'll be providing continuous care without the usual gaps of the public system that can leave a person susceptible to relapse. He points to one recent case he saw in an emergency room as an illustration of the strains on the current system. "I had a guy who came in saying he was suicidal because he just wanted help, and I didn't have anywhere I could tell him to go," Parrell said. "I just said here's the waitlist, and here's Vida Nova when we open." As for why the public should be funding services at a private clinic, Parrell said it makes economic sense. "I see people come in all the time in the emerge, and a single emerge visit we're talking thousands and thousands of dollars," he said. "And to put that money towards treatment to prevent that relapse and overdose and death risk and all the complications related to that is going to save all of us taxpayer money." Construction is underway to convert the former children's camp into a multi-faceted addiction recovery centre. (Ryan Cooke/CBC) Search for staff ongoing The centre is actively recruiting staff, with a goal of beginning operations as early as September. Kirby said some critics questioned how they'd find staff with such a crunch in the health-care system, but added it hasn't been a problem so far. Melissa Wells, the centre's managing director, was busy with job interviews when CBC News paid a visit last week. She's been meeting with nurses and social workers from all walks of life, including ex-pat Newfoundlanders looking to return home, and people who have dealt with addictions firsthand. "There's certainly no lack of talent with the people we've been meeting with," Wells said. Melissa Wells is Vida Nova Recovery's managing director. She said she's been impressed by the quality of applicants so far, as the centre prepares to open this fall. (Ryan Cooke/CBC) As for getting MCP coverage, she said it will go a long way in reducing the strain on the public system while saving lives in the process. "Our philosophy from the beginning is no one gets left behind," she said. "We want universal support for everyone. So the fact that we've been able to work with the government and come to an agreement to support our clients is astronomical." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
CBC
28-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
N.L. has not joined federal program that would make diabetes medication and contraceptives free
Newfoundland and Labrador has not joined a federal program that could provide the province millions of dollars to make diabetes medication and contraceptives free for all residents. The universal Pharmacare Act was passed by the Trudeau Liberals last year, and received royal assent on Oct. 10, 2024. But only British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon have joined the program. Pharmacare advocate and member of the Avalon chapter of the Council of Canadians, Yvonne Earle, said joining the plan would mean every resident of the province would just need their MCP to access diabetes medication and birth control. "If everybody can receive their medications and keep themselves healthy, we'll be making a significant step forward for our health-care program," said Earle. A recent report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives estimated that the province would receive over $84 million in funding if it signed on. Still no word Last May, Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell said she looked forward to conversations with Ottawa about pharmacare, adding that Newfoundland and Labrador won't be left behind. And when St. John's East MP Joanne Thompson joined cabinet under Justin Trudeau, she said she wanted to protect pharmacare. The Council of Canadians sent letters to the government this year lobbying for a pharmacare agreement to be signed in Newfoundland and Labrador, said Earle. But they've only been told that discussions were on hold until after the federal election, she said. "Well, it's now been four months since the federal election and we're still not hearing anything," said Earle. Just last week, Earle said they sent a letter asking the provincial opposition to raise the question to the Liberal government as the provincial election nears. In an emailed statement, Department of Health media relations manager Jennifer Konieczny said they have engaged with the federal government regarding pharmacare coverage, and said that discussions were on hold due to the federal election. "We look forward to once again working with our Health Canada counterparts to improve access for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians when they are ready to resume discussion," wrote Konieczny. The Canadian Press reported on July 24 that Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel is not committing to sign pharmacare funding deals with all the provinces and territories. Earle said the government is procrastinating. "If we want it for Newfoundlanders, then our government has to go after it proactively," she said. She said she is very concerned about the federal government's non-commitment, adding that Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously committed to protect pharmacare during his election campaign. "One of the things that Canadians pride themselves on is their health-care system … [and] our health-care system now is under considerable strain," said Earle. "And one of the ways we can improve it is getting pharmacare for all Canadians." Diabetes medication access varied in N.L. Diabetes Canada has been advocating for a pharmacare plan that involves the provinces and territories working together, said Laura O'Driscoll, the organization's senior manager of policy. That would mean improving support for the 93,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who have Type 1, Type 2 diagnosed and Type 2 undiagnosed diabetes — or 18 per cent of the population, O'Driscoll said. Many different types of medications and devices are used to treat and monitor diabetes, but O'Driscoll said access in the province is varied. It depends on access to private insurance or if you're covered under the province's prescription drug program for low income individuals, she said. And people with diabetes can pay anywhere from $400 to $10,000 a year on medications. O'Driscoll said they have heard from patients who have not been able to afford their prescriptions. For now, she said, they're continuing talks with the government. "We urge … the federal government and provincial and territorial partners to continue to have conversations about reducing the out of pocket costs for people living with diabetes," said O'Driscoll.
CBC
15-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
From Costco to clinics: New health-care centre opening in east end of St. John's this fall
A new health-care facility will open in the former Costco building in St. John's in October, offering urgent care and outpatient appointments. People may know it as the former Costco building, but "it looks nothing like that now," Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell told reporters during a tour of the site on Tuesday. Howell said the new urgent- and ambulatory-care centre at 28 Stavanger Drive is opening in phases this fall and is expected to shorten hospital wait times. The urgent care centre will treat people with non-life threatening injuries and illnesses — such as minor sprains and strains. It's meant to relieve pressure on emergency rooms, said Howell, so ERs can focus on "true emergencies." Several outpatient services are also opening at the ambulatory-care centre in October, relocating from the Health Sciences Centre and St. Clare's Mercy Hospital. These include several specialist clinics and two X-ray machines, orthopedics, audiology, and appointment scheduling and registration, said a Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services statement. More services are scheduled to move to the site in December, including physiotherapy, blood collection, occupational therapy, surgery preadmission clinic, pain clinic, ultrasound and an additional X-ray machine. MRI services are set to open in 2026. There will be an information campaign in the fall to let people know where they should go for different health issues, said Greg Browne, a vascular surgeon and the clinical lead for healthcare infrastructure. Once you're inside the building, Howell said clear signs will make it easier for people to know where their appointments are. "I think as patients we're going to really see the benefits of this once we start using it," said Dorothy Senior, a patient advisor who sits on committees for the health authority. She listed the benefits of having access to all clinics in one area, colour coding, and having comfortable places to sit. In its statement, the health authority said the hub will have free parking for patients and staff, as well as an outdoor space. A pharmacy and Jumping Bean coffee shop are set to open there next year, and there are plans underway for a daycare provider. The project is coming in on budget, said Kimberley Pike, clinical planner with Provincial Capital Planning. The province is renting the old Costco site, which hasn't been used since 2019. "Clinic appointments and ambulatory appointments really don't need to happen in an acute care hospital, with all the hustle and bustle and the stress that people go through by going into a hospital environment," said Pike. In its statement, the health authority said some outpatient services will still remain at the hospitals. Ear, nose and throat clinics, as well as rheumatology, will also stay at St. Clare's Mercy Hospital.
CBC
28-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Health minister confident deal will be reached to prevent mass resignations at St. Clare's
Newfoundland and Labrador's health minister said she wasn't fond of the approach, but she expects a deal is "imminent" with a team of doctors who threatened a mass resignation at St. Clare's Mercy Hospital in St. John's. Krista Lynn Howell told reporters Friday afternoon that her department has been working with the provincial health authority and the medical association to find a solution to the problems with internal medicine at the city's second-largest hospital. The five internists warned of an "impending crisis" following the loss of the medical residency program at the hospital — stripping away valuable coverage for 24/7 patient care. "I may disagree with the tactics that were deployed to get us to this point today," Howell said. "But nobody has thrown down and went home. So we do believe that we're in a place right now where a resolution is imminent and we're confident the plan will resolve this issue." Howell gave no particulars, instead deferring to Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA). In a brief comment, Kyle Rees — a lawyer retained by the five doctors — said he's encouraged. "I know the parties are working on it, and that's a positive development. It's something that needs to be taken seriously, and it sounds like that's happening." Doctors threatened resignation before News of the resignation notice caused a frenzy on Friday, but it wasn't the first time the team of physicians has threatened to walk away. CBC Investigates has obtained a letter dated Jan. 1, 2024, in which the internal medicine team at St. Clare's wrote to the premier's office and threatened to withhold services within 20 days. They cited reasons such as "administrative burden, limited resources and an overwhelming patient load," as well as compensation "significantly lower" than the national average. "We understand that our decision to withdraw services may cause inconvenience and disruption to both N.L. Health Services and our patients," they wrote at the time. "However, we firmly believe that this step is necessary to draw attention to the urgent need for change." The letter did not result in a job action — which is prohibited under their collective agreement — but three of the five signatories to the letter no longer work at St. Clare's. Barry Petten, the Progressive Conservative health critic, said he wasn't surprised by the new resignation letter sent on Monday. He said he's had contact with internists from St. Clare's going back to the first resignation threat last year. Petten said he knows the doctors reached out to the last three health ministers — including Premier John Hogan. "And yet, no action," he said. "This is not a new thing. Eighteen months later, there's no action." Howell acknowledged the issue has been ongoing, but said talks have been happening for several months. She said a plan to address their concerns was well underway before they were told the residency program was coming to an end, creating a new problem to overcome. Residency program axed over lack of supervision, MUN says In a statement on Friday, Memorial University said it made the decision to cut the residency program "in the best interest of our residents' training and well-being." The statement said the university's medical school had concerns about "a lack of adequate support and appropriate supervision" for residents, leading to the entire program being terminated. Spokesperson Chad Pelley said some modifications were made as concerns were raised, but they weren't enough to satisfy national standards during an accreditation review last November. Formal notice was given in early 2025, outlining the issues that needed to be resolved. The internal medicine residency at St. Clare's will come to an end on July 1. Howell, meanwhile, said the residency program is important to the hospital, and she's hoping to see it restored in the future.
CBC
29-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Province launches 10 year health-care staffing plan using 2022 data
Newfoundland and Labrador is predicting what it will take to meet the province's healthcare needs in 21 health-care professions over the next decade. On Thursday, the Department of Health released phase one of its health human resources plan, which focuses on the retention and recruitment of health-care professionals, including nurses, therapists, laboratory workers and pharmacists. Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell said the plan aims to address gaps in the workforce by modelling the supply and demand of workers in the provincial health-care system while prioritizing their work-life balance. "We also had a focus from this report on exploring ways to automate non-clinical aspects of some professions to support an improved work-life balance for health professionals," Howell told reporters. "It allows a greater focus on patient care and will positively transform service delivery approaches." But the province's registered nurses' union is concerned the plan will miss its mark. President Yvette Coffey told CBC News the plan is based on outdated data, which fails to accurately represent the demand for nurses in 2025. "It's based on the core staffing, which what I mean by that is the number of registered nurses or nurse practitioners to a specific number of patients in their care," said Coffey, adding that data on nurse-to-patient ratios are even more outdated. "I mean like 30-40 year old data, it's based on patients who were in the hospital for surgery that today is done as an outpatient procedure. It's based on a healthier population than we have here right now," she said. The nurses union would like to see a focus on violence prevention. Otherwise, Coffey said the recruitment of nurses won't work. "This report paints a dire forecast for the future of nursing in this province with the vacancies, and I would agree," she said. "Right now we have a surge of patients and we are looking at our staff and saying, there is no more staff and you have to take on these extra patients." Howell said the new plan is a snapshot from 2022, but its outlooks are subject to change. "The model is adaptable and dynamic, and as we have new measures to put in, we will get new outputs to come out," Howell said. Phase two of the plan is expected to be released this spring and will make projections for 36 physician specialities.
