Staffing challenges force Interior Health to adjust services at Boundary Hospital
By Lone Sheep Publishing
In a media release Wednesday, Interior Health said there will be temporarily closing the inpatient unit at the Boundary District Hospital (BDH) due to significant staffing challenges.
“This difficult decision was made in order to maintain safe patient care,” said Interior Health president and CEO, Susan Brown in the media release.
“Our priority is to re-open these beds in Grand Forks as quickly as it is safe to do so and we are actively recruiting to stabilize staffing at the Boundary District Hospital.”
Interior Health said the remaining staff will support the emergency department so it can remain open 24/7 and anyone requiring emergency care should visit BDH.
Interior Health said if a patient requires hospital admission, they will be transferred to hospitals in nearby communities.
Interior Health said current nursing vacancies are the result of former staff moving to alternate positions outside of Grand Forks and/or taking temporary leaves. Interior Health aims to recruit five RN positions in order to reopen the temporarily closed unit.
Interior Health continues to offer incentives to help recruit new health-care employees to the Grand Forks area.
Some incentives available include:
- Relocation Assistance – Qualified candidates for permanent and temporary placements may be eligible for financial relocation assistance to help with the move.
- Rural Retention Grant – Registered Nurses who have made an employment commitment to fill positions in hard-to-fill locations in the Interior’s rural and remote communities, including Grand Forks, may be eligible for the Rural Retention Grant.
- B.C. Loan Forgiveness Program – Recent graduates in select in-demand occupations can have their B.C. student loans forgiven by agreeing to work in communities, such as Grand Forks. Check out the program details to see who is eligible.
Interior Health is currently recruiting for a variety of positions in Grand Forks including: emergency nurses, registered nurses (medical), rural and remote mental health and substance use staff, long-term care nurses (RN/RPN), medical lab technologists, and community care licensed practical nurses.
For more information on available opportunities, please visit our career site.
