Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital. (Image Credit: Interior Health)

By Michael Reeve

CLEARWATER ER

Clearwater doctor speaks out on ER closures

Jul 6, 2022 | 4:17 PM

CLEARWATER, B.C. — “We are people here, trying to do our best in a system that is failing all of us, not just you,” said Dr. Kara Perdue.

Since the beginning of May, the emergency room at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater has been forced to close on at least eight separate occasions due to limited staffing. And every time it does, a public outcry is felt by the staff. That’s why Dr. Perdue spoke out to provide the facts behind the ongoing challenges.

“That was really the goal of the post — giving that background and understanding,” Perdue told CFJC Today Wednesday (July 6). “Because every time we have had to have a closure of the Clearwater emergency room over the past few months, we see on social media or hear from patients a lot of frustration, oftentimes some anger about why the ER is closed and how it impacts the community.”

Clearwater, our team at the hospital hears and understands your frustrations with the ongoing closures of the Emergency Department. We know that this is frustrating. We know that this is scary. We know that this is not an acceptable way to continue.What you may not know is the realities of why this is happening and all we are doing to try to address this. -Dr. Kara Perdue

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Sadly, the situation in Clearwater is not unique, will similar closures occurring in Merritt and Barriere.

To sum up the problem, the Clearwater hospital should have eight registered nurses on staff; currently they have just four.

“There is just not anybody with that skill set and training that those at ER trained RNs have to be able to safely provide care to patients. To try to have the ER open otherwise would be negligent — to pretend we could provide the care without those team members,” added Perdue.

Currently, we have 4 RNs and 4 LPNs. We have postings for up to 7 additional (full-time, part-time, or casual) RNs and for 2 LPNs. Please be clear on that point above: we have 4 RNs. We are supposed to have 8.We are operating at half our capacity for RNs. The ER cannot be open without an RN who is trained in emergency medicine care. Our RNs also have duties on the acute care ward. -Dr. Kara Perdue

Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell was grateful that Perdue was able to put out the message to the community and has seen it make an immediate impact on the perspective of the hospital and its staff.

“We know exactly what we need. We know the size, scale, scope of the problem. We know what pieces are missing in our local health care and so does the community. And our community is a fabulous recruiter for itself,” said Blackwell.

Solving the staffing shortages is not a simple task by any means, and as the doctor explains, it’s not as simple as creating more nursing seats at colleges, as those students still need somebody to teach them.

“When we are already this strapped for staff, sending students to work with people who are burning out, not having a good day at work, just trying to get by. It’s not going to encourage people well to continue in that career and doesn’t lead to the best education for those people coming out, either,” said Perdue.

When the Clearwater ER is forced to close, patients are directed to Royal Inland Hospital, putting further stress on the Kamloops hospital that is facing staffing challenges of their own.

“Solving the problem in Clearwater, and dealing with our own issues locally, will relieve the pressure on RIH, it will relieve the pressure on the system,” said Blackwell.

To be clear firstly: Dr Helmcken Hospital did not lose any nurses — RNs or LPNs — to the vaccine mandate. The pandemic played some role. It was tiring and exhausting. We had to learn a whole new disease entity, its presentation, its treatments, and how to keep ourselves and you as safe as we could. -Dr. Kara Perdue

While Perdue noted that Clearwater lost zero staff to the vaccine mandate, the pandemic has played a role, leading to burnout, stress and resignations among staff. Despite all that, those still working are doing everything they can.

“We are going to provide you the best care that we have the ability to. And we are going to cry with you if the worst happens, and then we are going to wipe our face, put on a smile and go do the same for the next patient we see,” said Perdue.

So please remember this when we do have no choice but to close the ER: We have done everything we can to avoid this. We are operating at half of our RN staff. Without an ER trained RN, we cannot safely have the ER open. We are actively recruiting to fill our vacant positions. We are human too and the state of health care breaks our hearts. -Dr. Kara Perdue