Burlington hospital bracing for 'unprecedented pressure on health system'

Joseph Brant Hospital has 238 staff members in isolation, more than 10 per cent of the hospital's full and part-time staff.

As of Monday, 166 hospital workers were in isolation with COVID-19 symptoms while 72 more were isolating pending test results. On average, 50-70 staff members are entering isolation every day.

The numbers illustrate the strain being put on the health care system. The hospital was already operating with a 9.4 per cent staff shortage prior to the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.

At the same time, the hospital saw a 30 per cent increase in the number of people coming to the emergency department last month compared to December 2020.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant has spread rapidly through our community and across the world, leading to record-high case counts and unprecedented pressure on our health system," said hospital president and CEO Eric Vandewall.

Joseph Brant Hospital is currently treating 11 patients with COVID-19, with four in the intensive care unit. The hospital has also seen an increase in the number of patients being admitted with complex medical issues as well.

In keeping with the provincial directive, Joseph Brant began scaling back procedural and scheduled surgeries on Monday. That will allow the hospital to redeploy those health care workers to others areas needing additional support.

The hospital will continue to perform urgent and emergency surgeries, including cancer surgeries.

Joseph Brant is also following provincial guidelines on testing to allow asymptomatic health care workers to return to work as quickly and safely as possible.

In order to deal with increasing volumes in the emergency department, the hospital is asking:

anyone with mild COVID-19 symptoms to stay home and contact your doctor or TeleHealth Ontario for advice on managing symptoms at home.

if eligible for a COVID-19 test, it should be booked through halton.ca. The emergency department can't provide tests upon request.

because of increased demand, wait times will likely be longer in the emergency department for less severe illnesses. Patients are assessed and treated based on the severity of your illness.

The last two years have been incredibly difficult for everyone," Vandewall said. We are all anxious to return to our pre-pandemic lives. However, now more than ever, please continue to follow the guidance of medical experts and public health officials."