45 beds at the former hospital in Corner Brook should be open to patients in 6 months (or so)

Dr. Patrick Parfrey says two floors at the former Western Memorial Regional Hospital will be converted with 45 beds available to patients who require alternate level of care or long term care.

The CEO of NL Health Services was in Corner Brook yesterday to officially announce a response to overcapacity issues that occur at the new hospital and the need for more long term care and transitional beds. Dr. Patrick Parfrey says two floors at the former Western Memorial Regional Hospital will be converted with 45 beds available to patients who require alternate level of care or long term care. He says 35 percent of patients at the new hospital do not require acute care. It’s unknown what the renovations will cost at this time. 

The new Western Memorial Regional Hospital opened in June of last year with 164 acute care beds. Teara Freake is the Vice-President and COO -Western Zone, NL Health Services. She says they’re aware of experiences in the emergency department by people while waiting for an inpatient bed. Freake says while planning for opening day they knew there was a risk while opening 18 beds in Bay St. George previously closed due to renovations and 7 palliative care beds in the Western Long Term Care building. Freake says opening up these additional beds will provide space and time for people to recover from illness well. She says it will also improve access to health care for the whole region and help them reach priorities. Meanwhile, Dr. Parfrey says this is just an interim solution. He says there aren't enough home support workers in the region and there is an aging population. The intention is to have the 45 beds open in 6 months or so.