Surge Capacity at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

(Thunder Bay, ON - January 2, 2018) Today, Dr. Stewart Kennedy, EVP Medical and Academic
Affairs and Acting CEO at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, made the following
statement.

“Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is experiencing a surge capacity crisis, with
exceptionally high numbers of admitted patients. Every effort is being made to support patient
care and flow.

Due to the current situation:

 Visitors to the Emergency Department are restricted due to high levels of respiratory
illness in patients and physical space limitation;
 Non-urgent patients in the ED may experience longer than usual wait times.

We are asking for the community’s support and understanding as we use our resources in the
best ways possible, so that all patients get the right care at the right time.

This may include:

 Placing male and female patients in the same room when other options are not
available;
 Placing patients in the most appropriate room, regardless of insurance coverage;
 Moving patients from one room to another, depending on changing health care needs.

Most importantly, anyone who requires emergency services will be treated at Thunder Bay
Regional Health Sciences Centre – you will NEVER be turned away. For non-urgent care, please
visit primary care providers, including family physicians and nurse practitioners. For a list of
walk-in clinics, call 211.

Nobody will ever be “discharged early” or be otherwise refused services at Thunder Bay
Regional Health Sciences Centre. Those who require acute care will always have access to
acute care.
We continue to provide care to people from across Northwestern Ontario, and to provide
surgeries as scheduled.

We continue to provide care to people from across Northwestern Ontario, and to provide
surgeries as scheduled.
We are working closely with our partners in health care – the North West Local Health
Integration Network and St. Joseph’s Care Group – to identify and implement any actions that
may relieve pressure at our Hospital.”

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a leader in Patient and Family Centred Care and a research and
teaching hospital proudly affiliated with Lakehead University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and
Confederation College.
Le Centre régional des sciences de la santé de Thunder Bay, un hôpital d’enseignement et de recherche, est reconnu
comme un leader dans la prestation de soins et de services aux patients et aux familles et est fier de son affiliation à
l’Université Lakehead, à l’École de médecine du Nord de l’Ontario et au Collège Confederation.
 Background: Understanding Surge Capacity

Surge capacity is a situation at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre where there are
more patients than beds normal bed occupancy. As a result, new patients who come through
the Emergency Department and need to be admitted often have to wait for a bed to open up, or
end up being admitted to temporary accommodations, such as Family Lounges (sunrooms) or
day surgery stretchers.

Are there enough beds?

Yes, there are enough beds for acute care patients. Our bed capacity is 375 beds. A large
contributing factor in surge capacity is the number of Alternate Level of Care, or ALC patients.
If the ALC patients could be discharged to more appropriate beds in the community, we would
have empty beds.

What’s an ALC patient?

ALC patients at our Hospital are those who no longer need specialized acute care. They do not
need to be in a hospital, but still need some form of health care after their hospital visit, be it in
a rehabilitation hospital, or a long-term care facility.

Why can’t ALC patients be sent home?

In most cases, the services they need exceed what community agencies can provide in a health
care setting. So, even though they are medically safe to leave from our specialized acute care
standpoint, they simply have nowhere else to go until those services become available.
Unfortunately, there is currently a shortage of Long-Term Care beds and community services.

How many patients can the Hospital hold?

We have a 375 bed capacity for our admitted patients. During periods of surge capacity, we
may admit 430 admitted patients, and sometimes more, including an average of 60 – 70 ALC
patients.

Can you add more beds?

The number of beds a hospital operates depends on the funding it receives from the Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care. A “bed” is much more than a physical bed. It requires medical
supplies for the patient in it, the support of specialized staff (housekeeping, dietary, laundry,
etc.), and the care of nursing professionals, physicians and other health care providers.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a leader in Patient and Family Centred Care and a research and
teaching hospital proudly affiliated with Lakehead University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and
Confederation College.
Le Centre régional des sciences de la santé de Thunder Bay, un hôpital d’enseignement et de recherche, est reconnu
comme un leader dans la prestation de soins et de services aux patients et aux familles et est fier de son affiliation à
l’Université Lakehead, à l’École de médecine du Nord de l’Ontario et au Collège Confederation.
 Physically, we could find space for more beds. However, Ministry dollars are better applied to
developing community capacity for ALC patients.

Can patients be turned away? Will they be discharged early?

Anyone who requires emergency and specialized acute care services will NEVER be turned
away. Nobody is ever “discharged early”. Those who require specialized acute care always
have access to it here.

What are you doing about it?

Unfortunately, surge capacity challenges are ongoing. However, we have made great strides in
addressing this problem. Along with our partners in health care, we help patients get the right
care, at the right time, by the right provider. We have been able to improve patient flow by
significantly reducing the average length of time patients stay in the Hospital for their
treatment. We are also looking at who truly needs to be in a hospital bed and whether they can
be treated as effectively and safely in an outpatient setting, such as day surgery for instance.

Recently, we have had an average of 393 admitted patients per day, which is an improvement
from last year’s average of 406.

Is the quality and safety of care impacted?

Absolutely not. Despite our surge capacity challenges, we remain committed to providing safe
specialized acute patient care. The dedication of staff, physicians, volunteers –involved in
caring for patients – is truly remarkable.

I know these periods in surge capacity are a strain on our staff, and I am extremely grateful to
them.

Is this only a ‘Thunder Bay’ problem?

Hospitals across Ontario and Canada are experiencing this problem. However, our Emergency
Department is one of the busiest in Ontario with about 9000 visits per month – which can
compound the problem.

Unlike most hospitals in Ontario, we cannot divert patients to another Emergency Department
until occupancy is reduced. In addition, of all the specialized acute care hospitals in Ontario,
ours is the furthest from a referral centre. Furthermore, we are the only trauma centre, have
the only NICU, the only stroke unit, etc. in Northwestern Ontario. Our doors always remain
open to all Northwestern Ontario residents who urgently need specialized acute care.
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a leader in Patient and Family Centred Care and a research and
teaching hospital proudly affiliated with Lakehead University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and
Confederation College.
Le Centre régional des sciences de la santé de Thunder Bay, un hôpital d’enseignement et de recherche, est reconnu
comme un leader dans la prestation de soins et de services aux patients et aux familles et est fier de son affiliation à
l’Université Lakehead, à l’École de médecine du Nord de l’Ontario et au Collège Confederation.
 -30-

Media Contact:

Stephanie Rea
Administrative Assistant and French Language Services Officer
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Tel: (807) 684-6010
Email: reas@tbh.net

Healthy Together

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, a 375-bed acute care facility, is a national
leader in Patient and Family Centred Care. As the tertiary care provider in Northwestern
Ontario, we provide comprehensive services to a population of over 250,000 residents in a
region the size of France.

Effectively addressing the health care needs of patients and families has earned us both
Innovation Awards and Leading Practice Designations.

As an academic health sciences centre, we teach the next generation of health care
providers and advance medical research. Patients benefit from interprofessional teams of
dedicated health care providers and access to leading-edge medical equipment and clinical
trials.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is a leader in Patient and Family Centred Care and a research and
teaching hospital proudly affiliated with Lakehead University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and
Confederation College.
Le Centre régional des sciences de la santé de Thunder Bay, un hôpital d’enseignement et de recherche, est reconnu
comme un leader dans la prestation de soins et de services aux patients et aux familles et est fier de son affiliation à
l’Université Lakehead, à l’École de médecine du Nord de l’Ontario et au Collège Confederation.