Hamilton Health Sciences asks employees to end vacation, work more as some units 'severely understaffed'

The CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) has issued a personal appeal asking staff to work even more hours or come back from vacation to fill gaps as some areas of the hospital system are "severely understaffed."

It's a shortage that the critical care lead at the Juravinski Hospital, part of HHS, described as "monumental" and has left the hospital in "crisis mode in a lot of places."

"We have half the nurses in the hospital working that we need," said Dr. Bram Rochwerg.

"The half that are showing up to work are being asked to do twice as much as they normally would and causing increasing stress and burnout."

Union says HHS offering double time

Dave Murphy, president of CUPE Local 7800, said he received an email Friday afternoon where HHS pledged to pay staff double time for the next few days.

A media release from HHS Friday afternoon said it's offering "premium payments" to any staff who work unscheduled hours between Dec. 30, when CEO Rob MacIsaac sent out an appeal by email, and the morning of Jan. 5.

Murphy, whose union represents roughly 4,3000 care workers at Hamilton hospitals, said it was a "nice gesture" but noted the shortage and pandemic aren't going away.

"It's a small band-aid on this wound," he said, adding the pay increase will make separation from family a little more palatable, but staffing issues won't end when the holidays do.

The Thursday memo from MacIsaac said its hospitals, like others across the province, are facing "enormous pressures" as the Omicron variant spreads, workers take time off for the holidays and staff are sidelined by the COVID-19 virus.

"Tonight several of our acute care units are severely understaffed," he wrote in the note.

"I am making a personal appeal to all healthcare workers who have availability tonight and in the coming days to step forward."

The Friday release from HHS said it is taking "extraordinary measures," including ramping down procedural and scheduled care starting Jan. 4, calling back asymptomatic staff who are isolating but test negative for COVID-19 with a rapid antigen test, and prioritizing PCR testing for staff to speed their return to work.

CEO calls it an 'all-hands-on-deck situation'

Statistics on the HHS website show 411 of its employees were self-isolating as of Friday.

The hospital system reports it is caring for 113 patients with the virus. Thirteen COVID-19 patients are in the ICU.

Rochwerg said HHS has seen a "slight increase" in ICU volumes because of general critical illnesses, as well as illness related to COVID-19.

But, coupled with the ongoing staffing struggle, that slight bump is straining staff.

"I can't stress enough the impact this is having on our hospital system because of stress, burnout, folks being away, sick with Omicron," said the doctor.

MacIsaac's memo calls it an "all-hands-on-deck situation" and is addressed to employees currently on vacation, those who work part-time or occasional hours and anyone who can extend their usual hours.

'Put your money where your mouth is,' says union

Murphy said he's heard from staff members who "feel so terrible" about taking time off that they are giving up their vacation to go in.

"They want them to give, give, give and they have no more to give," he said of HHS.

The union president said staff have already been asked to do more than go the extra mile, saying at this point it's more like an "extra hundred miles."

He called on HHS and its CEO to go an extra mile too, and ask the Ontario government to lift the cap on the one per cent wage increase that's in place.

"Our staff run into a burning building every day and no one is giving them extra for this," he said. "Put your money where your mouth is."

Hamilton's 7-day average hits 613

The request from the CEO comes as Ontario reported 16,713 cases of COVID-19 on New Year's Eve.

Data from the province shows 205 patients are in ICUs with COVID-related illness and 104 need a ventilator to breath.

Hamilton's website shows another 818 cases were tallied in the city on Friday. The seven-day average for new cases currently sits at 613.

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton currently has 143 staff members and physicians isolating at home.

Its website states that 57 patients are confirmed to have COVID-19 and six are in the ICU.

A spokesperson for St. Joe's said 163 staff and physicians there have tested positive for COVID-19, noting the Omicron variant has made the situation "more challenging."

The hospital is monitoring its staffing levels and have plans to recall retired workers and accepting offers from staff members willing to work extra shifts.

Other area hospital networks are also under strain. Niagara Health, which operates fives sites, shared a statement on Thursday warning its emergency departments are under increasing pressure.

The network is asking patients who have no COVID-19 symptoms or mild symptoms of the virus to stay home and contact their primary care provider, rather than flooding the emergency department.