Letter to the Community from Eric Vandewall, JBH's President & CEO

As we welcome 2022, hospitals are beginning the year in a very different position than we were anticipating just a few short weeks ago. The highly transmissible Omicron variant has spread rapidly through our community and across the world, leading to record-high case counts and unprecedented pressure on our health system.

Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) has responded quickly to the evolving situation, reinstating emergency planning tables, evaluating and shifting strategies to meet the anticipated challenges ahead in this wave of the pandemic. We will work closely with our regional partners to continue to meet the demands for care within our communities.   

Omicron is presenting two crucial issues to healthcare: the significant number of people anticipated to need emergency and inpatient care, and the impact to the already existing shortage of health care professionals to provide patient care. 

Our hospital, like many across Ontario, is experiencing significant pressures on hospital occupancy and staffing:

•  The community transmission of Omicron has impacted our teams: 166 hospital workers are in isolation with COVID-19 symptoms (Jan. 3) and an additional 72 staff are in isolation pending test results. On average, we are seeing 50-70 new workers entering isolation daily.
• Seasonal illnesses are circulating, contributing to an increase in staff sick calls.
• Prior to Omicron, the hospital was already operating with a 9.4% staff shortage.
• There is a 30% increase in the number of people coming to our Emergency Department (ED) for care as compared to December 2020.
• There is an increased number of patients being admitted with complex medical issues.
• There is an increase in patients who are COVID-19 positive. Currently 11 inpatients are being treated for COVID-19, with 4 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
• There are current 1,121 active COVID-19 cases in Burlington (as of Dec. 31, 2021), with a test positivity rate of 9.3% (as of Dec. 22, 2021)

 In response to these challenges, our hospital has enacted measures to ensure that we can continue to provide safe, quality care to our community:  

•  A ramp down of procedural and scheduled surgical care beginning today, January 3, as directed by Ontario Health. This will allow us to redeploy the health human resources in units that need the additional staffing support. We will continue to provide urgent and emergent surgeries, including cancer surgeries.
• Alternative models of staffing care have been implemented cross the organization, to support care delivery during staffing shortages.
• Following the new provincial testing guidelines for healthcare workers, with the timely return to work of asymptomatic staff who have had a COVID-19 exposure. These staff complete daily negative rapid antigen tests (RAT), ensuring work self-isolation and self-isolation at home.
• Continued prioritization of PCR testing for staff and physicians to enable their return to work as quickly and safely as possible, with additional enhancements to the testing process underway.

In addition to these measures, to support our increased Emergency Department volumes and acuity, we are asking for our community’s assistance to ensure those who need our emergency care, can receive it immediately.

• If you have mild COVID-19 symptoms, you do not need to come to the ED. Coming to the ED risks exposing vulnerable people to the virus. Please call your primary care provider or TeleHealth Ontario for advice on managing mild COVID-19 symptoms at home.
• If you are eligible under new provincial testing guidelines, you may book your COVID-19 test at halton.ca. Our ED cannot administer COVID-19 tests upon request.
• If you visit the ED, you will be seen based on the severity of your illness.  Patients are seen based on an assessment of individual illness including many community members who arrive by ambulance. As a result of high volumes, this will likely mean longer than normal waiting times for less severe illness.

Our Emergency Department is safe and our nurses and doctors are ready to care for patients for need our help. If you need emergency care, do not hesitate to call 911 or visit your nearest Emergency Department.

These last two years have been incredibly difficult for everyone. The road behind us has been a long one and we are all anxious to the return to our pre-pandemic lives. However, now more than ever, please continue to follow the guidance of medical experts and public health officials. Get vaccinated, as doing so keeps you and your loved ones safe, and brings us one step closer to making our communities safer. Continue to protect yourselves and others by masking, washing your hands, maintaining physical distancing, and limiting the number of people with whom you gather.

As Wave 5 evolves, so will the situation within our hospital. Our teams will continue to provide great care to those who need it most. We echo our community’s gratitude for the sacrifices made by Joseph Brant Hospital’s dedicated staff and physicians.

We thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support.

Our best wishes for a safe and Happy New Year.

Attachments

A message to the community for JBH President and CEO