Tag: Northern Lights Regional Health Centre

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Ft Mac Health

Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Cancer Care Clinic Resumes Services

The Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Cancer Care Clinic has resumed services as of last week, and this means that the hospital is almost completely back to full operations. The only exception is some of the Allied Health programs which have not resumed yet. Returning residents can be assured that the medical services that they need will be offered in the area. The cancer care clinic was the last stage of the reopening of the hospital, and each unit in the facility has all beds open for patients. According to a recent news release by Alberta Health Services “there are no longer any health service-related concerns for residents returning to the city.” This was not the case when Fort McMurray first started allowing the area residents to return.

Northern Lights Regional Health Centre was reopened in specific stages as soon as the evacuation order was lifted for the area, but the cancer care clinic was not one of the first units to be opened. The first day that re-entry was allowed for residents the hospital had the emergency department open, as well as X-ray and CT diagnostic imaging. By June 13 residents could access the pediatric and inpatient psychiatric services, the operating rooms and ICU unit, the medical and surgical inpatient units, and obstetrical care. On June 22 dialysis was also available once more. All of the long term care patients at the facility have also already returned. Anyone interested in reopening updates can contact Allied Health by calling 780-788-1377, or they can find out more at ahs.ca/wildfire.

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Ft Mac Health

Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Starts Welcoming Back Long Term Care Residents

Long term care residents at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre are being welcomed back now that the hospital is back up and running. During the evacuation period the residents were moved to various Edmonton long term care units according to Northern Lights Regional Health Centre area manager for seniors health Denise Wilkinson, and she stated “It’s wonderful to have the residents back. Emotionally they wanted to come back, this is their home.” One of these residents is 83 year old Irvin Higdon, who watched through his fourth floor window as the flames spread and who was quickly evacuated. Higdon told reporters that “My boys are here, my grandchildren are here, and my great-grandchildren. It feels good to be back home.”

64 year old Frank Gibot is another one of the long term care residents at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, calling it home for the past 14 years, and he had nothing but great things to say about the staff and the evacuation process. “I was a little bit scared. But the driver’s did a good job, the nurses, everyone did just a good job. I didn’t panic. It’s good to be back home. I missed being home after two months. I didn’t like it (being away), it was really hard.” All of the residents who had returned by the time the Countess of Wessex visited were invited to meet the Royal, and Gibot could not contain his excitement saying “I’m really excited to meet the Royals. I’ll be glad to meet them. I feel pretty special for the invite.”

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Ft Mac Health

First Birth at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Since Evacuation

The very first birth at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre since the area was evacuated due to the wildfire brings a sense of hope and new beginnings. The boy was born to Melissa Taylor and Steven Mercer on June 17, 2016 at 5:02 am, and he weighed 6 pounds and 6 ounces. Big sister Abigail waited for mom and dad to bring her new baby brother home after he was born. According to Melissa giving birth anywhere else was not an option that she would consider, saying “It was the deciding factor for us to come home, knowing that the hospital was back up and running. I didn’t want to have my baby anywhere else.” It was not until June 1 that residents were even allowed to return, and the re-entry was phased to minimize confusion. Core services were starting to be restored at the hospital by June 13 and expects full services to be offered very shortly.

A Northern Lights Regional Health Centre news release by senior operating director David Matear addressed the first birth at the hospital since the evacuation. According to Matear “We are so thrilled to see the NLRHC returning to normal service and we’re all so excited to mark this special birth. We are here to make sure that the residents of Fort McMurray are taken care of as they return home and start to rebuild following this natural disaster.” Alberta Health Services has also given the all clear so that residents with health issues can return home safely.

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Alberta Ft Mac Health

Childbirth Death at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Under Investigation by Alberta Health Services

A childbirth death at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre is being investigated by several entities. An internal review will be performed by the medical facility, and an investigation is also underway by Alberta Health Services to determine exactly what happened and if it was preventable. Kay Williamson ,the spokesperson for Alberta Health services, released a statement which said in part “Cases such as this are extremely rare, and particularly tragic. Our hearts go out to this family. We have talked to the family about the circumstances of this case, and will continue to be available to them to answer any questions or concerns they may have.” Maternal mortality does occur although it is not common and only happens in roughly 35 cases a year across the entire country.

Farzana Nasrin was the latest victim of childbirth death, and the 37 year old was already a mother to 2 children and was pregnant with her third. The baby survived and was taken to an Edmonton hospital for treatment. Bela Hossain, Nasrin’s husband and the father of their 3 children, gave some details of the case during a CBS News interview. According to Hossain his wife experienced severe and heavy bleeding during childbirth right before she passed away. Hemorrhaging is always a risk during pregnancy and childbirth. From 2009 through 2012 Fort McMurray had a very high birth rate yet the maternal mortality rate was very small. An online GoFundMe campaign has been started to help the family that Nasrin left behind, and several thousand dollars have been raised so far.

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac Health

Additional Helipad Delays at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre

Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, helipad delays

There are more helipad delays for the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, pushing back this necessary feature until at least 2017. A press release that was recently issued by Alberta Health Services explained that the plan was to delay the construction so that it coincided with a planned exterior renovation for the facility. According to the press release the helipad will not be completed sometime in 2017 in order to cut costs and maximize resources by combining the helipad and the exterior renovations. A statement by AHS explained “By coordinating work between the two projects, AHS will be able to minimize costs and complete work required to accommodate the new heliport. Coordination of construction work on the site will also improve worker safety.” The press release also included a statement from Northern Lights Regional Health Centre senior operation director David Matear which stated “We are confident this is the best way to move forward with this project.”

Further helipad delays at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre has caused concern for some in the community. Initially the helipad was due to be completed in 2015. The helipad is needed so that medevac services can actually land right on the roof of the hospital. Right now medevac services must bring a patient to the airport, and then the patient must be taken by ambulance to the hospital. This is a trip that can add 21 minutes to the travel time the patient has before the hospital can provide emergency care. In the press release statement issued by AHS the agency has insisted that the added travel “has not compromised patient care.” Do you believe that the added helipad delays compromise patient safety? Why or why not?

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Alberta Ft Mac Health

Helipad on Hold While Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Goes Over Options for Design

Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, helipad

A new helipad at Northern Lights Regional Health Centre is on hold while officials go over the design options available. Alberta Health Services has announced the delay and the reasons behind it. The early designs were not ideal according to hospital officials, and different choices are being considered. NLRHC site director David Matear discussed the delay and said “Essentially, there may be other options that would better suit this project. From my perspective … it’s well worth taking the time and effort — and maybe that little bit more time now — to select the best option long term. If there is reinforcement required for the roof for a heliport … then there’s construction throughout the building that is required. Once that happens, then in those areas of construction — clearly they need to be sealed off.”

One point under consideration during the delay of the helipad at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre is the elevator placement for patients being brought into the facility. Adding the helipad provides medevac services to land a helicopter right on the roof of the facility, bypassing the current method of landing at the local airport and then transporting the patient to the facility by ambulance. Until a final design is chosen there is no estimated completion date for the new helipad, but Alberta Health services released a news release with a scheduled completion date for the project at late 2016. Matear also explained that the helipad is sorely needed, commenting “Timely emergency medical transport is essential to those living and working in a region with a population and industry that is growing so rapidly.”