UPDATE: This story was updated on Tuesday (May 28) morning with new comments from MAHC.
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) needs to do more to recruit and retain registered nurses.
That’s according to Erin Ariss, Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) provincial president. Ariss was one of many ONA officials on hand for two rallies held in Bracebridge and Huntsville on Saturday.
They were joined by other local registered nurses (RN) “calling for safe staffing levels.”
“I think what is important to note is that the community knows that there is a reorganization of the hospital health care. The bricks and mortar, the buildings,” said Ariss. “But what is not well known is that registered nurses are losing their jobs over this.”
Ariss said with the reorganization, positions are changing. “They are eroding the work,” she said. “Patients in this community will not receive the best care as a result of this.”
It’s the second rally in a little over a month. In April, Ruth Shaw, president of the ONA’s local bargaining unit, met with MAHC officials to outline their concerns with the staffing levels at the hospitals in Bracebridge and Huntsville.
In a statement provided to the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom, Cheryl Harrison, MAHC CEO, said the recent adjustment to their care model, which eliminated vacant Registered Nurse positions, was unrelated to the capital redevelopment plan.
“Despite this, we are actively recruiting nursing positions,” she said. “From January 1 to March 31, 2024, we added 26 full-time and 17 part-time budgeted positions and had a strong pool of applicants. We’ve implemented signing and referral bonuses and added new roles in wound care, Intensive Care Unit, clinical education, chemotherapy, and surgical services.”
Harrison adds they anticipate over 200 new positions with the new hospitals, including many RN roles.
“Our innovative recruitment strategies and software are effectively attracting qualified candidates, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining a strong healthcare team and high standards of care,” she says.
Harrisson says ensuring patient safety and providing quality care are top priorities at MAHC, and retaining and recruiting registered nurses is important in achieving those goals.
“We value the dedication and hard work of all our nursing staff, and we are committed to continuing to support them in delivering the best possible care to our community,” Harrison said.
Ariss said by investing in hospital staffing, the community will receive “the best care, the safest care, the care they deserve.”
She added they were also calling for every RN position eliminated in 2023 to be restored.
