Chatham hospital to lose nine ER nurses

The emergency department at Chatham’s hospital will have fewer nurses, but officials say efficiency should increase by matching staffing with patient flow and increasing physician hours.

The reduction of nearly nine full-time equivalent positions in the ER is part of a “recovery plan” for the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance announced Tuesday.

The cuts are among the 26 fulltime and 15 part-time positions being eliminated by the hospital to save $3 million as it grapples with a debt of more than $20 million.

The hospital has already cut 19 management roles and of the remaining 67 management positions, 54 have been redefined.

Benchmarking what other hospitals are doing has also played a major role in reductions that are being made in such areas as the ER that has been operating with more staff than similar-sized hospitals.

“Quality and patient safety always remain the No. 1 focus,” said Dr. Anthony Dixon, the hospital’s chief and program medical director of emergency medicine.

Rob Devitt, a hospital supervisor appointed by the province, said similar-size hospitals have the same or shorter wait times than Chatham’s with fewer ER staff.

Data shows there are surges of patients needing more urgent attention in the early morning before the workday begins and again at around 4:30 p.m., Dixon said.