Major expansion underway for parking lot at Sackville Memorial Hospital
Horizon Health is adding 88 spaces to the Sackville Memorial Hospital parking lot, but while work is happening, the number of available spaces will be reduced.
In an emailed statement to CHMA, Blaine Lynch, Regional Director Facilities, Engineering and Property Management with Horizon says that the work is meant to “improve traffic circulation on-site and to expand the parking capacity for patients, visitors, and staff. The additional parking capacity will also be beneficial with the arrival of Beal University’s nursing program at the hospital.”
About 18 nursing students are expected to begin studying at new Beal University classroom space at the hospital in January, according to Kerry Kennedy, regional director of talent acquisition with Horizon, speaking at a public meeting on October 12.
The expanded parking lot will replace a large lawn with trees that run along the Main Street side of the hospital property.
Horizon is advising that the Queen’s Road entrance to the parking lot will be the most direct access for the duration of the construction. The Main Street entrance will still be available for one-way, incoming traffic only, and drivers will have to drive around the rear of the hospital to gain access to the parking lot.
A notice distributed by Horizon also says that fencing and temporary signage on site are expected to be in place until November 3, and the project will be completed shortly after that.… Continue
Two more RNs, four more ER docs needed to bring back 24-7 emergency department in Sackville
Horizon Health Network says it has recruited and onboarded five registered nurses (RNs) to the Sackville Memorial Hospital emergency department, and that there are now five nurse practitioners working in the department.
But there’s still more new staff needed before the emergency department can return to 24-7 service. In a statement released Monday, the health network says it needs two more RNs and four emergency physicians in order to safely resume regular hours at the Sackville ER. In total, Horizon says that 19 of 24 RN positions are currently filled at the hospital, which includes the emergency department and the Brunswick inpatient unit.
“I’m really pleased to see that they’ve taken this step,” says Rural Health Action Group co-chair John Higham, “to put the data out there, and commit to collaborating.”
The Horizon communiqué also gave an update on plans for renovations at the hospital including construction of a second operating room, renovations to the existing operating room, and repairs and renovations to a section of the ER which sustained flood damage during Hurricane Fiona in September. All those renovations are expected to begin by late spring.
Higham says the $2 million capital investment by Horizon is a sign that the network is “looking at how rural hospitals can help the bigger ones.” The second OR theatre will enhance surgical access for the region, says Horizon, “providing additional capacity for orthopedic surgeries such as hip and knee replacements and, potentially, a wider variety of surgical procedures moving forward.”… Continue
Sackville ER closed December 24, 25, and January 1
The emergency department at the Sackville Memorial Hospital will be closed for three days over the holidays.
Horizon announced on Tuesday that due to a shortage of physician coverage the emergency department would remain closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, this Saturday and Sunday, and also on New Years Day, Sunday January 1, 2023.
The Sackville ER has already been operating on limited hours, only opening to new patients for eight hours per day, from 8am to 4pm, seven days a week.
The Horizon Health Network says all patients requiring emergency medical care during the closure will need to be treated at another hospital, and all ambulances will be diverted to other hospitals.
Anyone experiencing a medical emergency can still call 911, or visit the next closest emergency department in Moncton or Amherst. … Continue
Sackville hospital to double OR capacity in 2023 as part of Horizon operating room expansion plan
Note: This story has been updated with a response from the Department of Health and comments from local retired doctor, Ross Thomas.
Two operating rooms at the Sackville Memorial Hospital are set to get some TLC starting in 2023.
On Friday, Horizon Health announced a plan to invest about $6.4 million in operating rooms (ORs) at the Sackville hospital and three other community hospitals in the province. In Sackville, that means spending about $2 million to upgrade one operating room that’s currently in use, and renovate another room to make it functional again.
The overall plan is to ramp up the use of ORs in community hospitals across the province to help alleviate the surgical backlog for less complex day surgeries, which will in turn allow more complex surgeries to happen more quickly in the regional hospitals.
“These programs will not only increase the number of hip and knee replacements completed each year, but in many cases, they will also increase our capacity for orthopedic surgery, cataract surgery, endoscopy and other procedures,” says acting Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson. “Augmenting the surgical services at these community facilities will also allow our regional hospitals to complete more complex and acute cases, which is a win-win for the broader healthcare system.”
Operating rooms are part of the centralized surgical system at Horizon.… Continue
Bridging program and personalized recruitment key to new nursing hire at Sackville Memorial Hospital
As local health care advocates launch a Sackville-focussed website to assist in recruiting nurses and doctors to the region, Horizon Health has also announced some success in fixing staffing issues at the Sackville Memorial Hospital.
In March, the health network announced it had recently recruited a nurse manager, two Registered Nurses (RNs), one licensed practical nurse (LPN), and four personal care attendants (PCAs) to the Brunswick inpatient unit at the Sackville Memorial Hospital. In addition, there are two RNs who will work in the hospital’s Emergency Department
That’s great news for all those pushing for the restoration of services at the hospital, including acute care beds and 24/7 Emergency Department. In the Horizon announcement, hospital director Christa Wheeler-Thorne said there is “still more work to be done before we are able to safely reintroduce these services.”
Justine Graham is one of the recently announced new recruits. The former LPN will start her role as an RN at the Sackville hospital in June, after graduating from UNB’s bridging program. Sackville wasn’t a hard sell for Graham, who worked here as an LPN before deciding to upgrade her skills at UNB in 2019.
CHMA spoke with Graham on March 24, 2022 about her decision, and also the challenge she now faces of finding a place to live in Sackville. Graham started off talking about her experience working at the Sackville Memorial Hospital as a licensed practical nurse:
Grahams says that for her, UNB’s bridging program was an “incredible opportunity,” and was key to securing her future as an RN.… Continue
Horizon officials commit to hospital future, say recent cuts were necessary
There were some unexpected guests at Monday’s Sackville town council meeting. At the invitation of Mayor Shawn Mesheau, Horizon CEO John Dornan and three other senior staff attended the meeting via video conference, to address concerns raised in a letter from the Rural Action Health Group sent that same day.
The letter was itself a response to an announcement on Friday from Horizon, that they would be converting the acute care unit at Sackville Memorial Hospital to beds for people waiting placement in long term care facilities. The letter from the Rural Health Action group outlined three demands:
● quick action and public commitment to return the Sackville Memorial Hospital to 24/7 ER services and 21 acute care beds, as before
● Horizon budget commitments in line with ours, to continue our collaboration on recruitment
● honest staffing numbers, needs and predictions, so our recruitment efforts will be honest and successful.
At the Monday meeting, Dornan immediately gave re-assurances that Horizon was committed to reopening services at Sackville Memorial.
“I’m going to start things off by saying that we are, as a healthcare corporation, nothing but supportive of Sackville Memorial Hospital,” said Dornan, and promised to deliver in written form a “commitment to supporting 24/7 care at Sackville Memorial, as well as active inpatient care, operating room services, specimen collection and emergency room care.”… Continue
Sackville ER closed again Sunday due to nursing staff shortage
The Emergency Department at Sackville Memorial Hospital is closed unexpectedly again today (Sunday) due to a shortage of nursing staff.
The ER will re-open Monday at 8 am.
The additional last-minute closure was announced by Horizon in a news release Saturday afternoon. It’s the third last minute closure announced this week. On Tuesday, the ER was closed unexpectedly at 7pm on Tuesday, and remained closed on Saturday. The ER has not been able to re-open since it closed Friday at 4pm for its expected weekend overnight closure.
Overnight weekend ER closures have been in effect at the Sackville Memorial Hospital since June 11.
During the closures, the Emergency Department will not see patients and ambulances will be diverted to other hospitals. All patients and clients requiring urgent medical care will need to seek treatment at another hospital.
Horizon advises anyone experiencing a medical emergency to call 911 as always, and to call 811 if they have any questions about the type of medical attention they require.… Continue
Sackville ER closed today due to nursing staff shortage
The Emergency Department at Sackville Memorial Hospital is closed unexpectedly today (Saturday) due to a shortage of nursing staff.
The ER will re-open for the day on Sunday August 15, from 8am to 4pm, and then close again overnight Sunday, as part of overnight weekend closures announced in June.
Regular 24-hour emergency services will resume Monday at 8 am, and continue until Friday at 4 pm.
The additional last-minute closure was announced by Horizon in a news release late Friday night, and it’s the second last minute closure announced this week. On Tuesday, the Sackville ER was closed unexpectedly at 7pm and remained closed overnight.
Overnight weekend ER closures have been in effect at the Sackville Memorial Hospital since June 11.
During the closures, the Emergency Department will not see patients and ambulances will be diverted to other hospitals. All patients and clients requiring urgent medical care will need to seek treatment at another hospital.
Horizon advises anyone experiencing a medical emergency to call 911 as always, and to call 811 if they have any questions about the type of medical attention they require.… Continue