Top local health stories of 2017
From air ambulance service to closing the hospital’s palliative care ward, 2017 has been a year full of health care changes.
Fixed wing air ambulance service experienced some air turbulence of its own this year. Integra Air lost its contract with Alberta Health Services (AHS). After months of speculation AHS announced a contract has been signed with CanWest for service from April 1, 2018.
Dental fees
Alberta is getting a dental fee guide Jan. 1, 2018. The guide shows an average reduction of 8.5 per cent for 60 common dental procedures but dentists are not obligated to follow the guide.
Hospital wing
January 2017 the hospital's new wing was issued an occupancy permit by the City of Medicine Hat but there were still many steps before departments could begin moving in. By early December the following departments had begun to operate there: the kidney care centre, maternity clinic registration, volunteer services, ambulatory care clinics, the Margery E. Yuill Cancer Centre, cardio and respiratory, outpatient lab services, seniors clinic, day medicine, surgical suite and day surgery.
Hospital helipad
The helipad at the hospital remains unused nine months after identifying what Transport Canada (TC) required for compliance: An alternative landing area for single engine helicopters. There is still no sign of any work taking place. Recently Alberta Infrastructure said its consultants are doing a final review and updates on the emergency landing area.
Diagnostic lab
After 52 years the Medicine Hat Diagnostic Laboratory (MDHL) closed its doors permanently at the end of March and AHS established its own collection services laboratory on Carry Drive.
Assisted dying
This summer it was one year since Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID) became federal law. By the end of Nov. 2017 there had been 248 MAID cases of which 28 were in the south zone. There have been 105 people who did not meet the criteria to qualify for MAID. Reasons included a mental health diagnosis, loss of capacity or competency and death not being reasonably foreseeable. The most common reasons for wanting MAID were health conditions that included cancer, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and advanced lung disease.
Opioid crisis
What has been called the “opioid crisis” continued for another year. Some of what we learned in 2017 is that the majority of males in emergency departments because of an overdose are young people without a history of prescription opioid use, said Dr. Nick Mitchell, senior medical director, addictions and mental health, AHS. New rules for prescribing opioids were put in place by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta April 1 and new rules for pharmacists filling a prescription for opioids were introduced Oct. 1.
Six west closure
The decision to close ward Six West at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, which includes the palliative care unit 12 beds and 30 beds for seniors awaiting placement in a community facility, shocked the community and the head of the palliative care program, Dr. Josh Foley. Palliative care will now be provided only at Carmel Hospice.
Residue issue
An unknown residue was discovered on equipment in the reprocessing/sterilization area of the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. The cause was never identified but installing filters on all equipment in the sterilization area solved the problem. For weeks sterilization had to be done at other locations and it was necessary to postpone about 205 elective surgeries.
Fatality inquiry
A report following an inquiry into the suicide death of a local man in 2013, while in Medicine Hat Regional Hospital's psychiatric ward, was made public in August. AHS has initiated a response on the nine recommendations made but it will be early 2018 before this is made public.