Overnight closure of ER at Nicola Valley Hospital last night
Merritt residents once again went without access to an emergency room locally for the night.
Category: Nursing
B.C. health minister visits Merritt and commits to taking actions on ER closures
On July 25, B.C.’s Minister of Health Adrian Dix visited Merritt to better understand the emergency room closure crisis happening in town.
Mayor pleads with provincial government to fix ER crisis in town
Mayor Mike Goetz said his frustration level is getting to a boiling point every time there is a new closure announcement of the emergency room at Nicola Valley Hospital.
Frustration grows as residents rally against repeated ER closures
Merrittonians gathered on the streets to protest against the temporary closure of their only emergency room once again.
Nicola Valley Hospital emergency room closed Wednesday night
IHA said in a press release, which was released after the closure already had begun, that the diversion in service is due to limited nursing availability.
Health Connect Registry expanded to all B.C. communities
The registry is hosted by HealthLinkBC, and offers patients seeking care the opportunity to input their information and be matched with a medical professional.
Booking system for appointments with pharmacists now live
Following an expansion of their scope of practice last month, the province has announced that people can now book an appointment to see a pharmacist through a new provincial online booking system.
B.C. Nurses Union calling for safer staffing levels
Following a rally that saw hundreds of nurses from across the province gather in Vancouver, the BC Nurses Union (BCNU) is calling on the provincial government to take urgent action to address B.C’s worsening nurse shortage.
New provincial funding benefits long-term-care homes
EquipCare BC is now getting a boost in funding, with the province investing an additional $14 million for health, safety, and quality improvements in publicly funded long-term care (LTC) and assisted-living homes, according to a press release from the provincial government.
B.C. pharmacists now able treat minor ailments, prescribe some medications
As of today (June 1), people in B.C. can get prescriptions for contraceptives and medications to treat some minor ailments directly from their pharmacist, in a move the provincial government said will expand access to pharmacists, and healthcare in general.
Doctors of BC ‘sounding the alarm’ on state of emergency departments
Concerns over closures of the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre’s emergency department have been top of mind for Merrittonians, and now an association representing 14,000 physician members, is sounding the alarm about the state of emergency departments across B.C.
B.C. nurses ratify new three year deal
Nurses in B.C. have ratified a new agreement with the provincial government, securing a three-year deal that spans from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025.
Olla Standish: from Head Matron to major entrepreneur
One of the women practising nursing in Merritt was Olla Standish, the first head matron of the Nicola Valley General Hospital.
New doctor soon joining The Medical Clinic in Merritt
Merritt will soon gain another physician, with Merrittonian Dr. Ajhmair Lali returning to the Nicola Valley from university later this year to begin his medical career at home. Lali will join The Medical Clinic, who announced in January of this year that Dr. Morgan Lyttle would be closing his practice as early as April 2023.
Rallies against ER closures attended by over 200, including MLA and Mayor
In the third display of what organizers have unofficially dubbed as Rallies for Healthcare, over 200 Nicola Valley residents gathered at Central Park to show their support and call for action on ongoing service disruptions at the Nicola Valley Hospital’s emergency department.
Rallies against emergency room closures continue for second week
In a display that evoked essences of the biosolids protest that took place in 2015, nearly 300 residents of the Nicola Valley took to Central Park on Saturday (April 15) to protest ongoing service disruptions at the Nicola Valley Hospital’s emergency department.
Nicola Valley residents gather to protest emergency department closures
During the tenth diversion of emergency department services at the Nicola Valley Hospital since the beginning of this year, residents of the valley gathered on the hospital’s green space to rally against what many see as a lack of provincial action on the issue.
Mayor Goetz reacts to weekend hospital closures, calls on Dix for help
Following two day-long closures in the span of just 72 hours, Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz is calling on the provincial government to take action and acknowledge the ongoing healthcare challenges the community is facing.
Nicola Valley Hospital emergency to close again Monday morning
The diversion will see the Nicola Valley Hospital’s ER close for 25 hours from 7 a.m. Monday, March 13 to 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14, and comes just two days after the emergency department’s last day-long closure.
Merritt hospital emergency room to temporarily close tomorrow
The diversion will see the Nicola Valley Hospital’s ER close for 24 hours from 8 a.m. Friday, March 10 to 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 11.
