Latest news with #Parfrey
CBC
07-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
N.L. NDP leader slams personal care homes over hundreds of evictions
Auditor general found 91 residents refused re-admittance after hospitalization An eviscerating report into Newfoundland and Labrador's personal care homes found hundreds of incidents where residents were evicted, including some being refused re-admittance after needing emergency room visits. Newfoundland and Labrador's NDP Leader Jim Dinn called the auditor general's report on personal care homes"disturbing." The report also found sexual assault allegations, improperly administered medication and an accidental overdose death. "When we're talking about the care of seniors, it's important to remember that seniors are not commodities. They're not widgets, they're not some product we're churning out. They're people," Dinn told CBC News on Thursday. Denise Hanrahan's report found 91 residents who needed emergency room visits and weren't accepted back by their personal care home. "What a disrespectful, disrespectful, inhuman way to treat a senior," Dinn said. He said emergency rooms are notoriously full, but also wonders if some of those people needed to be there at all. "Are they just dropped off? Discarded? It's almost like setting them adrift," he said. The report noted that the practice was known by the Department of Health and Community Services and Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, but not addressed. Interim Health Minister John Haggie said it's inaccurate to paint a picture of residents being dumped in a parking lot. "It's a nuanced issue because there are a variety of reasons why a person might go to the emergency department and not at that moment go back to the personal care home," Haggie told reporters on Friday. Hundreds of evictions According to Hanrahan, during the audit period — between April 2022 and September 2024 — the health authority reported 254 resident evictions. Five residents were evicted without consultation with the health authority. The provincial Residential Tenancies Act does not apply to personal care home residents. Dinn said that means there are no grounds for personal care home residents to appeal an eviction. But, he said, such evictions should not be happening and the government needs to take steps to prevent it. "It's a shameful practice," he said. He suggested personal care homes could be brought into the public health system. Complicated role On Friday, NLHS CEO Dr. Pat Parfrey said evictions are "definitely a problem." "The poor people who are evicted, it must be a massive problem," Parfrey told CBC News. If a personal care home refuses to take a resident back, he said they are then admitted to the health-care system, which leaves NLHS to determine where they should go for care. It's likely that some of the residents who were refused re-admittance were turned away because their medical needs surpassed what the personal care home was capable of providing, Parfrey added. "But making that decision in the middle of the night and not taking the patient back is the worst way we can deal with it," he said. Speaking to the number of evictions cited in Hanrahan's report, Parfrey said it's concerning, "but it's not the health authority doing that. That's the personal care home and you should speak to them about it." In Hanrahan's report, she said NLHS didn't provide the audit team with enough evidence so that they could test if PCH's were compliant with eviction regulations. "I'm sure she's right and I think that the NLHS will have to do a better job [at] being able to provide that evidence," Parfrey said. However, he said the NLHS is challenged by staffing issues at a time when Newfoundland and Labrador's aging population has grown. Parfrey said the NLHS and the health department are working together to respond to the auditor general's report to implement new standards, better monitoring, as well as address staffing.
CBC
15-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
Agency nurse use down 42% from highest point, health authority says in wide-ranging update
In the first of what new Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services CEO Dr. Pat Parfrey says will be a monthly check-up with the media, he provided updates to the usage of agency nurses in the province, mental health care and more. Speaking with reporters, Parfrey said the province still plans to cut the number of agency nurses working in the health care system to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by 2026. However, there are still instances where they could be used if recruiting staff proves challenging — like the upcoming transitional care centre in Corner Brook's old hospital or in other parts of the system, for example. "Currently in cardiac surgery, we have three agency nurses. So the choice is do we cut down the number of cardiac surgeries that we do, or employ those agency nurses? And the decision we've made is that that's the better choice, to use the agency nurses," Parfrey said Friday. "We are going to be doing our best not to use agency nurses…. If we're able to do it and have a model that can be altered not to use agency nurses, that's exactly what we'll do." Ron Johnson, the health authority's vice president and COO for the eastern zone, said the health authority has reduced the amount of agency nurse usage by 42 per cent from its highest point, and that the health authority has a continuous plan to keep bringing agency nurse usage down. While Parfrey didn't have the exact cost figure the province is spending on agency nurses, he said the number is still "substantial for this year." New mental health centre to open in April Elsewhere in the health-care system, Johnson said the health authority is moving forward on opening its new mental health and addictions centre in St. John's. They expect the facility to be opened and patients to move there from the Waterford Hospital in April. "Everything is on track. We've been so fortunate to have this facility, really. I mean it's state of the art, beautiful inside. The latest in mental health treatments, and right now we're getting ready to take ownership of the building," Johnson said. WATCH | New mental health facility should welcome patients starting in April: New mental health and addictions centre will welcome patients in April 3 hours ago Duration 0:39 The health authority is still assessing what the Waterford property could be used for in the future, but Parfrey said some outpatient programming will likely continue there for the time being until the planned downtown health and wellness centre on the site of the Grace hospital opens. Parfrey also spoke to other previously announced items, like plans to lower the recommended age for breast cancer screenings from 50 to 40. That was first announced last May, but he said the Department of Health should have an update in the coming weeks. Additionally, the health authority is also continuing work to update its health information system. Vice-president of health system transformation Cassie Chisholm said the new system, called Epic, is scheduled to go live in April 2026 with security as a key priority following the cyberattack on the province's current Meditech system. "Having come through that difficult process once, we've learned an awful lot. So we are very well positioned going forward to take all the necessary safeguards," she said. Parfrey said that as part of his new role as CEO of the health authority, he wants to make the work they do more transparent. "We're trying to improve communication between NLHS and the public. And our objective is to engender more trust in NLHS, and to make the public and the providers proud of the institution," he said. "We have to be able to communicate."
CBC
12-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
NLHS could need $5M, more agency nurses to staff new beds in old hospital
Dr. Pat Parfrey, CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, says it makes sense to house overflow patients from the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook's old hospital. (Colleen Connors/CBC) The new head of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services says the health authority will need more than $5 million to deal with the overflow of alternative care patients at the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook, and will likely need to contract agency nurses to staff interim care beds at the city's old hospital. As first reported by CBC News on Monday, alternative care patients are taking up between 30 and 40 per cent of the new hospital's acute care beds. On Tuesday, NLHS CEO Dr. Pat Parfrey elaborated on plans to incorporate 45 new care beds into the old Corner Brook hospital, but said that staffing could require agency nurses. "It's a big problem, and we have a deficit of providers in this part of the province," Parfrey said. "Trying to fulfil those recruitment issues is a challenge for us." Teara Freake, NLHS COO and vice-president of the western zone, said the health authority is taking strides to address staffing needs in the Corner Brook area. "We have a current graduating class of 34 at the school of nursing and in other areas. We have 22 of those staff confirmed with another nine in progress, so we're hopeful to obtain a lot of those nurses," Freake said. WATCH | Health executives were in Corner Brook on Tuesday: N.L. Health Services hopes to bring new care beds to old Corner Brook hospital in next six months Duration 2:15 The health authority says turning the old hospital site in Corner Brook into a transitional care facility has been in the works for some time, and senior executives are now providing more details on Western Memorial Regional Hospital's overflow problem. CBC's Colleen Connors has the story. Seventeen practical nurses have also been recruited from the graduating class as of January, Freake said, and the health authority also expects around 10 international nurses to be ready for practice in the region each month from May to September. However, she also said agency nurses could be required. NLHS announced plans in May 2024, to cut the use of agency nurses to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by 2026. Using old hospital beats waiting for new facility: Parfrey Two requests for proposals will be issued soon in hopes the 45 beds can be open for care in the next six months, Parfrey said. He couldn't share an exact cost, but said it would cost north of $5 million to cover renovations, equipment and staffing. The old Western Memorial Regional Hospital closed to patients in June, but will be renovated in the coming months to house 45 care beds across two floors. (Geoff Bartlett/CBC) Parfrey said 30 of those beds will initially be reserved for those waiting for space in a long-term care facility, but he hopes to shrink that number over time and transition the beds into more alternative care beds. "If you had to build [a facility], it would take five years. So it seems entirely logical that if you're in it nine months ago, it will have deteriorated a bit but you can renovate that. It seems entirely logical to use it for an interim purpose," he said. "We have a challenge to meet dealing with frailty in this region.… I strongly believe that we need to go along that track." Parfrey said he believes the model being brought to Corner Brook can work in other regions, pointing to the use of 20 care beds at the Chancellor Park care facility in St. John's. Forty-six per cent of the 50 patients admitted to those beds in the last six months were able to go home, he said, while just eight per cent had to be admitted into long-term care. The success of the program is prompting the purchase of another 20 beds in that facility. "[It's] not a medicalized model, its a mobility model. So that's the type of thought processes that are being extrapolated to western [Newfoundland]," Parfrey said. 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.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NLHS could need $5M, more agency nurses to staff new beds in old hospital
Dr. Pat Parfrey, CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, says it makes sense to house overflow patients from the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook's old hospital. (Colleen Connors/CBC) The new head of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services says the health authority will need more than $5 million to deal with the overflow of alternative care patients at the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook, and will likely need to contract agency nurses to staff interim care beds at the city's old hospital. As first reported by CBC News on Monday, alternative care patients are taking up between 30 and 40 per cent of the new hospital's acute care beds. On Tuesday, NLHS CEO Dr. Pat Parfrey elaborated on plans to incorporate 45 new care beds into the old Corner Brook hospital, but staffing that could require agency nurses. "It's a big problem, and we have a deficit of providers in this part of the province," Parfrey said. "Trying to fulfil those recruitment issues is a challenge for us." Teara Freake, NLHS COO and vice-president of the western zone, said the health authority is taking strides to address staffing needs in the Corner Brook area. "We have a current graduating class of 34 at the school of nursing and in other areas. We have 22 of those staff confirmed with another nine in progress, so we're hopeful to obtain a lot of those nurses," Freake said. Seventeen practical nurses have also been recruited from the graduating class as of January, Freake said, and the health authority also expects around 10 international nurses to be ready for practice in the region each month from May to September. However, she also said agency nurses could be required. NLHS announced plans in May 2024, to cut the use of agency nurses to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by 2026. Using old hospital beats waiting for new facility: Parfrey Two requests for proposals will be issued soon in hopes the 45 beds can be open for care in the next six months, Parfrey said. He couldn't share an exact cost, but said it would cost north of $5 million to cover renovations, equipment and staffing. The old Western Memorial Regional Hospital closed to patients in June, but will be renovated in the coming months to house 45 care beds across two floors. (Geoff Bartlett/CBC) Parfrey said 30 of those beds will initially be reserved for those waiting for space in a long-term care facility, but he hopes to shrink that number over time and transition the beds into more alternative care beds. "If you had to build [a facility], it would take five years. So it seems entirely logical that if you're in it nine months ago, it will have deteriorated a bit but you can renovate that. It seems entirely logical to use it for an interim purpose," he said. "We have a challenge to meet dealing with frailty in this region.… I strongly believe that we need to go along that track." Parfrey said he believes the model being brought to Corner Brook can work in other regions, pointing to the use of 20 care beds at the Chancellor Park care facility in St. John's. Forty-six per cent of the 50 patients admitted to those beds in the last six months were able to go home, he said, while just eight per cent had to be admitted into long-term care. The success of the program is prompting the purchase of another 20 beds in that facility. "[It's] not a medicalized model, its a mobility model. So that's the type of thought processes that are being extrapolated to western [Newfoundland]," Parfrey said. 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.
