Prairie North Health Region has announced consolidation of its Cut Knife and Neilburg ambulance services at Cut Knife, and realignment of its Neilburg and Paradise Hill Laboratory and Medical Imaging (MI) services.
The changes will come into effect this fall though the precise date has yet to be determined.
"As we indicated when we presented our 2010-11 budget, balancing our revenues and expenditures depends on finding and reducing inefficiencies in the system while working to sustain access to safe, quality service," said CEO David Fan.
"These changes to Cut Knife/Neilburg ambulance service and to Lab/MI service at Neilburg and Paradise Hill take these factors into account," Fan added.
Cut Knife Ambulance Service will be enhanced to include regular weekend shifts and to cover some of the additional demands for the Neilburg area.
"We believe this will help to stabilize staffing which has been problematic to maintain separately at Cut Knife and Neilburg," explained Fan.
The change will also help address new continuing education and licensing requirements, as well as skills retention for emergency medical responders, according to a PNHR press release
"We recognize that these operational changes will have some impact on where ambulance services will come from for Neilburg and area residents and on when patients can access Lab/MI services in Neilburg and Paradise Hill. However, the services remain available and better reflect usage and available resources," explained Fan.
Neilburg and area residents who need an ambulance will still call 911. Ambulance service will come from the closest available emergency medical service (EMS) in Cut Knife and Maidstone. PNHR has made arrangements for ambulance service from our neighbouring Heartland Health Region to the south and from Chauvin, Alta. to the west for PNHR communities closest to these areas. As always, ambulance services from Lloydminster and North Battleford are available to provide any additional support that may be required.
"We will also be working with Neilburg and area residents to establish a First Responders program for the community," said Fan.
Realignment of Lab and Medical Imaging services in Neilburg will see patients able to come to Manitou Health Centre in Neilburg for routine blood collection and ECG testing on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays as they currently do. Lab/MI services will no longer be available on Tuesdays and have not been available on Wednesdays for some time.
