Interior Health seeking clinical staff to fill in at local care homes

Photo: Nicholas Johansen

The healthcare staffing shortage across Interior Health is also impacting Central Okanagan long-term care homes.

In a June 17 internal memo to all Central Okanagan clinical operations staff, executive director of Clinical Operations Danielle Cameron says IH is seeking help with staffing local long-term care homes, “due to scheduled vacation and baseline vacancies” going into the summer months.

“To support the stabilization of services when there are critical staffing shortfalls, Clinical Operations Senior Care is canvassing for volunteers from all clinical occupations interested in being on a Supplemental Call List to support Brookhaven Care Centre, Three Links Manor, Cottonwoods Care Centre and David Lloyd Jones,” Cameron says in the memo.

“Individuals called and scheduled to work from this list would be provided with an orientation to the site(s) and only assigned work within the employee's scope of practice.”

All of the named care homes except Three Links Manor have dealt with fatal COVID-19 outbreaks over the last two years.

The memo notes there are no “financial incentives” for those stepping up to help, but staff will be “compensated at their applicable rate and premiums based on respective Collective Agreement for all hours worked.”

Staffing shortages have been plaguing B.C.'s healthcare system for years, and the Interior has been hit particularly hard as of late.

Earlier this month, an internal memo stated Kelowna General Hospital's Medical Oncology Department is running at 55% of its “intended manpower” through the fall. Staffing issues have also led to frequent closures of the Emergency Departments in Clearwater, Merritt, Ashcroft in recent months.

“Care homes in the Central Okanagan are under the same pressures we are seeing across health care these days,” an unnamed Interior Health spokesperson said in a statement Friday.

“The safety and comfort of individuals in long-term care are our top priority and we have asked staff not already working in care homes if they are interested in supporting resident care this summer.”

Interior Health says they putting out the call to staff as a proactive measure, knowing many current care home staff will be taking vacations over the summer.

“We support employee health and wellness, recognizing that it is important for our employees to be able to take a vacation and have time away from the workplace,” the IH spokesperson said, adding that they're working to recruit new staff.