Northern Health is grappling with a 42 per cent vacancy rate for emergency room nurses, according to CEO Ciro Panessa.
New figures on healthcare staffing were made public after Panessa appeared before Peace River Regional District directors during a March 6 delegation.
The overall nursing vacancy rate currently stands at 27 per cent.
“We still have a very high vacancy rate,” said Panessa. “There’s no way to sugarcoat that.”
In the Northeast, the vacancy rate for emergency room nurses is slightly lower at 29 per cent, while the overall nursing shortage in the region is at 21 per cent.
“I’m very disappointed, but I’m unfortunately not surprised,” said Peace River South MLA Larry Neufeld. The riding has been hardest hit, with six diversions in Chetwynd and three in Dawson Creek attributed to staffing challenges so far this year.
Panessa noted that while the numbers remain high, they reflect progress compared to previous years. He highlighted an increase in physicians in 2024, with 79 joining compared to 48 leaving.
“I have been working with local elected officials to assist with attraction and retention in any way I can,” said Neufeld. “On a daily basis, we are hammering the NDP government as hard as we can, both in question period and outside of it.”
Neufeld also told CJDC-TV that he plans to reach out to the health authority to explore further ways to support retention efforts.
Panessa credited the GoHealthBC program for reducing emergency room closures. Of the over 172,000 hours worked by B.C. nurses enrolled in the program, 137,000 were in the Northeast, with the majority in Fort St. John.
“I think it creates an opportunity to work our magic in terms of getting people to set up shop, live, or decide to move, start a family, and build a life in Northern BC,” said Panessa.
The CEO also emphasized plans to expand the program further while continuing to hire and retain more staff. As part of retention efforts, 283 Northern Health staff members were approved for a $30,000 rural incentive launched last year.
Additionally, Northern Health is exploring hybrid emergency rooms featuring virtual doctors alongside clinical support to address staff shortages.
The overall workforce has grown by nearly 24 per cent since January 2021.