Unexpected staffing shortage leading to temporary closures of Collingwood hospital OB unit
Collingwood's hospital is warning of upcoming temporary closures to one of its units as a staffing shortage complicates operations.
On Monday afternoon, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) released a sudden notice that its obstetrics unit would be closed throughout the afternoon, saying it would reopen at 7 p.m., pointing to issues with staffing enough nurses.
While the unit reopened at 7 p.m., the hospital announced late Monday evening that the closure would resume for most of Tuesday. It says the staffing issues are primarily tied to ongoing illnesses.
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"While we made every effort to find replacement staff, CGMH's obstetrical unit is a small team with a specialized skillset, and unfortunately, we have not been able to fill tomorrow's day shift," Michael Lacroix, CGMH President and CEO, said in a news release. "CGMH is dedicated to transparency, and we are sharing this information to ensure that patients have time to prepare and make necessary arrangements for tomorrow."
The hospital says the unit will remain open on Monday, closing again on Tuesday at 7 a.m.
Emergency services related to pregnancies will be available despite the closure, but new admissions will not.
Patients who require non-emergent services will be assessed and relocated to another hospital.
Patients needing immediate care until the closure resumes are being told to come, and those looking for care tomorrow are urged to visit hospitals in either Barrie, Orillia or Owen Sound.
With files from CTV's Kim Phillips.
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