FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Community Partnership for PCH”
April 8, 2021
SUMMERSIDE,PE The City of Summerside and the Prince County Hospital Foundation are pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Prince County Hospital on a pilot project at PCH. This community partnership is aimed at filling ongoing vacant Intensive Care nursing roles at the hospital with experienced ICU nurses and retaining permanent staff in the Emergency Department and ICU.. The venture is meant to complement existing efforts and to bring experienced staff to this critical unit. Paul Young, Acting Administrator for Prince County Hospital, “We are overwhelmed and so inspired to bear witness to the PCH Foundation and the City of Summerside so graciously and generously answering our call for help to support the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in our facility. We are so encouraged at the potential of this partnership to explore opportunities to complement the excellent work of the Recruitment and Retention Secretariat.”
As the City sees PCH as a cornerstone of the community, they have come forward with facility packages at the CUP and a variety of draws for new and existing permanent hospital staff including enhanced packages for new recruits in ICU and Emergency Department. Also supporting retention efforts, the PCH Foundation will offer staff bursaries intended to encourage enhanced retention in ICU in hopes of alleviating strain on the understaffed department.
As well, the PCH Foundation and City will join forces in providing incentives to recruit three proficient Intensive Care nurses to the department. In their roles at PCH, these new nurses will be mentors, helping newer ICU nurses to gain their own proficiency in such a specialized unit and balancing the experience ratio required to operate the unit. These new nurses will be recruited from outside the PEI system to prevent damaging staffing in other departments at PCH and at other facilities within Health PEI.
Rick Kennedy, President of the PCH Foundation’s volunteer Board of Directors, remarks, “The PCH Foundation is here for the betterment of this hospital. Most days that means fundraising to keep this hospital fully-equipped for patient care. But that can also mean we must be here to make sure the staff is cared for, services remain on par, and that the hospital is growing. We are pleased to be able to contribute to this pilot project to benefit the staff and patients of PCH.”
“Nursing as a profession has long been charged with the respected, rewarding, challenging, and, of course, exhausting work of caring for those in need,” adds Summerside mayor, Basil Stewart. “Nurses have the enormous privilege and burden of providing frontline services while, at the same time, taking on the inherent personal sacrifices that come alongside such a task. We recognize the importance of critical care nursing skills and understand the nursing staffing pressures you have been experiencing in ICU and the Emergency Department and that is why the City of Summerside is pleased to be part of this consortium today announcing this “Made in Summerside” solution.”
The group will be promoting the recruitment efforts on social media with hopes to have the three positions filled by late fall. Prospective candidates can contact Mike Thususka, Economic Development Director at the City of Summerside for further information. He is reachable by email at mike@summerside.ca or by telephone (902) 432-0103.
PHOTO:
ICU Nurse Manager Catherine Andrew, right, and Director of Nursing Cathy DesRoches, left, joined PCH Acting Administrator Paul Young, centre, in making today’s announcement of the community partnership. Flanking the trio are PCH Foundation President Rick Kennedy, second right, and His Worship Mayor Basil Stewart, second left.
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MEDIA INQUIRIES
Prince County Hospital (Health PEI)
Paul Young, Acting Administrator
Tel: (902) 438-4510
psyoung@gov.pe.ca
City of Summerside
Mike Thususka, Economic Development Director
mike@summerside.ca
(902) 432-0103
PCH Foundation
Heather Matheson, Managing Director
Tel: (902)432-2834
hematheson@ihis.org
