(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Sheldon Spackman

Shipping Local Patients Out

Overcapacity concerns at Red Deer Regional Hospital reaching new heights

Sep 13, 2021 | 6:07 PM

Increasing overcapacity issues at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC) are reaching levels not yet seen before and it’s having a significant impact on patients, say local doctors.

Dr. Kym Jim with the Society for Hospital Expansion in Central Alberta (SHECA), says they’ve reached a new level of challenges at Red Deer’s hospital.

“We are regularly sending patients out now who are residents of Red Deer to hospitals outside of Red Deer with problems other than COVID, so that we can deal with the COVID problems at the hospital,” he explains. “But probably the biggest problem we have is that we have simply run out of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) beds in Red Deer. So this means that patients are being transferred across central Alberta for all of their intensive care needs and to Edmonton or Calgary.”

Dr. Jim notes how disruptive that is for both patients and their families.

“The hospital in Red Deer did not have the ability to deal with the needs of the zone, and for that matter, a large part of the city of Red Deer, even before COVID,” he explains. “Now with COVID, things are further exacerbated, such that we really don’t have the ability to manage a lot of the patients here. We just don’t have the capacity.”

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“It is really a very stressful time for staff and for people caring for patients in hospital,” shares Jim. “Beyond this, it is incredibly taxing on families that are having to get their care elsewhere because of our inability to manage here in Red Deer,” he concludes.

Dr. Mike Weldon, emergency physician at RDRHC, estimates roughly 25 per cent of the patients he’s seen in the past week have been COVID-positive cases, with roughly one-third of those getting admitted.

“It’s slowly filling up the hospital in terms of beds, and it’s also filling up the ICU in a very significant way,” he warns.

“If you get in a car crash and you need a ventilator for that reason, you’re going to have a tough time,” exclaims Weldon. “That’s the level to which our system is stressed at this point. The appeal now has to go to the citizens to get vaccinated because it’s the right thing to do for their community and the province.”

Dr. Adam Hall, ICU physician at RDRHC, admits the facility is under considerable strain.

“Our capacity fluctuates tremendously depending on the circumstances and time of year,” says Hall. “But this has been a higher strain on the system from a capacity perspective than anything I have experienced previously. Normally we’re funded for 12 beds, but I can’t remember the last time we had 12 patients.”

Alberta Health Services (AHS) says it continues to do all it can to ensure enough ICU capacity to meet patient demand, including opening additional spaces and redeploying staff.

“We currently have 286 ICU beds open in Alberta, including 113 additional spaces (as of 11 a.m. Sept. 13). AHS has opened 37 additional ICU surge spaces across the province in the past seven days,” reads a statement to rdnewsNOW.

“At Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC), there are 54 COVID-positive patients, including 19 in the ICU. In the last 48 hours, four critically ill patients have been transferred out of zone to hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary. RDRHC currently has 22 ICU beds, including 10 additional spaces, and is operating at 95 per cent of current capacity.

“Our hospitals are experiencing significant capacity challenges due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 patients needing care. In some cases, patients have been transferred from one healthcare facility to another, to ensure that they can continue to get the care they need,” the statement continues.

“AHS operates a provincial healthcare system, with healthcare facilities complementing one another. Transfers only occur when they are appropriate and safe for the patient. In most cases, patients are transferred by ground ambulance. Airlifting patients – either by fixed wing or helicopter – is an option used during extreme time constraints and is often the safest way to transport critically ill patients.”

According to AHS, provincially, there are currently 256 patients in ICU, about 79 per cent of whom have COVID-19. Provincial ICU capacity (including additional surge beds) is currently at 90 per cent.

“Without the additional surge spaces, provincial ICU capacity would be 148 per cent. The number of patients in ICU has increased by 19 per cent in the past seven days.

“The pressure right now on our staff, physicians and resources, is significant. We cannot overstate enough our gratitude for our colleagues who continue to work tirelessly 18 months into the pandemic.”

Related: Rising COVID cases, lack of nurses and capacity, mounting pressure at Red Deer Regional Hospital