Agency nurse use down 42% from highest point, health authority says in wide-ranging update

In the first of what new Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services CEO Dr. Pat Parfrey says will be a monthly check-up with the media, he provided updates to the usage of agency nurses in the province, mental health care and more.

Speaking with reporters, Parfrey said the province still plans to cut the number of agency nurses working in the health care system to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels by 2026.

However, there are still instances where they could be used if recruiting staff proves challenging — like the upcoming transitional care centre in Corner Brook's old hospital or in other parts of the system, for example.

"Currently in cardiac surgery, we have three agency nurses. So the choice is do we cut down the number of cardiac surgeries that we do, or employ those agency nurses? And the decision we've made is that that's the better choice, to use the agency nurses," Parfrey said Friday.

"We are going to be doing our best not to use agency nurses…. If we're able to do it and have a model that can be altered not to use agency nurses, that's exactly what we'll do."

Ron Johnson, the health authority's vice president and COO for the eastern zone, said the health authority has reduced the amount of agency nurse usage by 42 per cent from its highest point, and that the health authority has a continuous plan to keep bringing agency nurse usage down.

While Parfrey didn't have the exact cost figure the province is spending on agency nurses, he said the number is still "substantial for this year."

Elsewhere in the health-care system, Johnson said the health authority is moving forward on opening its new mental health and addictions centre in St. John's. They expect the facility to be opened and patients to move there from the Waterford Hospital in April.

"Everything is on track. We've been so fortunate to have this facility, really. I mean it's state of the art, beautiful inside. The latest in mental health treatments, and right now we're getting ready to take ownership of the building," Johnson said.

The health authority is still assessing what the Waterford property could be used for in the future, but Parfrey said some outpatient programming will likely continue there for the time being until the planned downtown health and wellness centre on the site of the Grace hospital opens.

Parfrey also spoke to other previously announced items, like plans to lower the recommended age for breast cancer screenings from 50 to 40. That was first announced last May, but he said the Department of Health should have an update in the coming weeks.

Additionally, the health authority is also continuing work to update its health information system. Vice-president of health system transformation Cassie Chisholm said the new system, called Epic, is scheduled to go live in April 2026 with security as a key priority following the cyberattack on the province's current Meditech system.

"Having come through that difficult process once, we've learned an awful lot. So we are very well positioned going forward to take all the necessary safeguards," she said.

Parfrey said that as part of his new role as CEO of the health authority, he wants to make the work they do more transparent.