‘Severely understaffed’ Hamilton Health Sciences asks for ‘all-hands-on-deck’

CHCH News has learned Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is facing an acute staffing shortage and put out an urgent call for help from staff on vacation to come into work as soon as they can or to work even more hours than they already are.

A memo sent by HHS president and CEO Rob MacIsaac and obtained by CHCH News says, in part, “as omicron continues to spread in our community, we are facing a staffing shortage due in large measure to both the holiday season and staff impacted by the virus. Tonight, several of our acute care units are severely understaffed. We are left with few options to bridge the gap.”

MacIsaac made a personal appeal to “all healthcare workers who have availability tonight and in the coming days to step forward,” asking those who are on vacation, who work part-time or occasional hours or who can work more overtime to declare themselves ready to work immediately and contact their managers as soon as possible.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck situation, and I sincerely thank you in advance for any additional time you are willing to offer in support of your colleagues and patients,” added the memo.

We asked HHS for comment on the memo and further details but a spokesperson said they were not able to offer more information until Friday.

HHS is a network of seven hospitals in the Greater Hamilton Area and employs approximately 15,000 people.

Please watch CHCH.com, Morning Live and CHCH News for more on this developing story.