It’s a full staff complement at PRRH Maternity

Mothers to be can rest a little easier heading into the fall and winter moths with the knowledge that the maternity ward at the hospital is back to full strength.

Northern Health’s director of Communications Mark Karjaluoto advised that; “All of our maternity nursing lines in Prince Rupert are now filled, staff have finished their individual orientation, and two of the nurses are fairly experienced in the More OB program.”

The return of a full staffing situation at the maternity ward should help alleviate any future problems that at times resulted in Rupert mothers having to be shipped off to Terrace or other locations to have their babies due to the staffing shortage at PRRH.

With the unpredictable fall and winter weather soon to arrive that’s one less worry for a mother and father to be to have to think about as the delivery date nears.

The Daily News had full details on the announcement in Friday’s paper.

Maternity nursing crisis ends happily
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Friday, September 28, 2007

Page one

All of the vacant maternity nursing positions at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital have now been filled, officials announced last week at Northern Health's board meeting in Fort St. John.
Medical staff informed the board that work will continue to keep the service fully functional by offering continuing medical education to increase the number of medical staff providing C-section services and supporting the More OB maternal care quality program.

"All of our maternity nursing lines in Prince Rupert are now filled, staff have finished their individual orientation, and two of the nurses are fairly experienced in the More OB program," said Mark Karjaluoto, Northern Health's director of communications.

More OB is a voluntary program designed to increase patient quality improvement for obstetrical services in the region. Developed by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, More OB aims to try to cut the risk factors that go along with labour and delivery by building relationships between different care providers, enhance communication skills, and provide staff with ongoing practice to enhance skills needed in an emergency.

Northern Health also announced at the meeting that it is operating with a small surplus through the first quarter of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, equaling $1.4 million. However, when taken into account that NH has a $558 million annual operating budget, that amount is only a small fraction of one percentage in the budget.

"Our financial staff have projected a break-even position for the current budgetary year," said Dr. Charles Jago, NH board chair. "We are expecting greater hospital activity in the winter months, along with higher energy costs which will affect our financial position."

The board received an update on the Let's Talk About Addictions and Mental Health community consultation program, which involved a number of community forums being held in municipalities and First Nations communities in the spring and early summer. The final report will be drafted and available within the next few weeks, and its recommendations will help guide improvements to NH's addictions and mental health systems.