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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/mayors-rural-ambulance-response-1.5771336
Mayors blast 'terrible' rural ambulance response times
Auditor general report shows poor rural response times masked by urban data
· CBC News· Posted: Oct 21, 2020 4:00 PM AT
In many rural and remote communities, Ambulance New Brunswick fails to respond to 90 per cent of calls within its target of 22 minutes. (Catherine Allard/Radio-Canada)
Mayors and community leaders in small–town New Brunswick say they weren't surprised at all by this week's scathing report by the auditor general about ambulance response times.
The audit shows that in many rural and remote communities, Ambulance New Brunswick fails to respond to 90 per cent of calls within its target of 22 minutes.
"It's terrible," said Belledune Mayor Joe Noel. "It shouldn't be allowed and there's no need for it."
But those shortfalls are obscured, and don't count against ANB's performance payments, because they're combined with better response times in urban centres for measuring performance--which is allowed under the company's contract.
Blackville Mayor Chris Hennessy said the report is a vindication for him.
"They basically bury the rural stats in the urban numbers so they never show the bad with the good," he said.
"I know people thought I was crazy when I was preaching about this for the last five years … so I'm glad somebody uncovered that."
Rural vs. urban response
The aggregation of the numbers allows Medavie Health Services New Brunswick, which operates the ambulance service, to collect $650,000 a year for hitting the broader 90-percent target in four large zones that include cities and towns.
"They're meeting them on the backs of the rural areas," Noel said.
"That's exactly what happens here. When an ambulance goes out in Campbellton or Bathurst, they take the ambulance from Belledune and send it to Bathurst or Campbellton to sit there, whether it gets a call or not...
"It's terrible," says Belledune Mayor Joe Noel. "It shouldn't be allowed and there's no need for it." (Ian Bonnell/CBC)
"That's where the calls are and that's why they're doing it: because it makes their numbers look good."
Harvey Mayor Winston Gamblin said response times in the village are good when the ambulance happens to be at its local station.
But when it's been shifting elsewhere, paramedics have a hard time reaching some locations within 22 minutes.
"We feel that if you live in a rural area, you have to take second best, and that's the way it came out in the report yesterday -- that we're second class citizens and [they say] 'we'll get there when we can,'" he said.
Ambulance targets
Under Medavie's contract with the province, ambulances must hit response targets 90 per cent of the time for the organization to receive performance payments.
The targets are to reach the scene of a call within nine minutes in 16 urban areas and within 22 minutes everywhere else in New Brunswick.
The audit found that in 19 out of 67 communities, ANB fell short of the 90 per cent goal.
But because response times are blended together within four large zones, it "masked" the poor numbers in those rural, remote communities, Auditor General Kim Adair-MacPherson said Tuesday.
Auditor General Kim Adair-MacPherson's audit said the system "has introduced a bias toward achieving high performance in areas of greater population density, to the detriment of rural or remote communities where 911 calls occur less frequently." (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Her audit said the system "has introduced a bias toward achieving high performance in areas of greater population density, to the detriment of rural or remote communities where 911 calls occur less frequently."
Rural areas were at a disadvantage because the system is "reducing the emphasis on improving performance in those areas," allowing Medavie "to focus resources on urban areas while having decreased performance in outlying communities."
In a statement released Tuesday, Medavie Health Services New Brunswick president Richard Losier agreed the average response time "varies from community to community."
But he pointed out what Adair-MacPherson's audit acknowledged: that the contract doesn't rate performance community by community but in four large zones.
"MHSNB is always open and willing to work with our government partners to improve the services to the people of New Brunswick," he said.
Medavie mum
Medavie did not respond to a request Wednesday for an interview with Losier.
On Tuesday Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said she was talking to Medavie officials about renegotiating the contract, which was renewed in 2017 for another 10 years.
Noel said rural response times should carry more weight in measuring ambulance performance.
"When you're 25 minutes away from a hospital to start with, that's where you need the response times," he said.
Belledune had the lowest number of any community measured by the auditor general: ambulances reached their destination within 22 minutes in only 69 per cent of calls.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said she was talking to Medavie officials about renegotiating the contract, which was renewed in 2017 for another 10 years. (Government of New Brunswick)
Marc Henrie, the former chair of the Saint-Paul local service district north of Moncton, said he was not surprised to see the Fords Mills ambulance station with the second-worst rate in the report.
Ambulances based there reach calls within 22 minutes in only 70 per cent of cases.
"The auditor general just released proof that rural citizens are sadly taken as citizens of a second-class," he said.
Henrie chaired the LSD when Ambulance New Brunswick decided to put its bay in Fords Mills rather than in another location closer to Saint-Paul and Route 126, where he says most people in the area live.
"The numbers are not surprising at all," he said.
Sometimes ambulances responding to calls in the Saint-Paul area are sent from Salisbury, even though Moncton is closer. Henrie believes it's so ambulances based in Moncton can stay there and respond to calls in and around the city.
"It's clear that it's not strategic and it's not what's for the well-being in an emergency situation," he says.
Gamblin says he's glad to see the auditor general put the spotlight on the problem but worries it will discourage people from moving to smaller communities. "It's not an advertisement for rural areas," he says.
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Methinks Madame Shephard must know by now that the Medavie officials should be regretting their minions threatening litigation against me today N'esy Pas?
Pathetic Bernard lord pathetic
In the meantime, the important individual in this discussion, the patient in need of an ambulance is left holding the proverbial bag. Not necessarily because of a bad contract with Medavie, but more because of the chronic under funding of the entire health care system by successive NB government. Shortage of Nurses, Shortage of Doctors, Shortage of Specialists, Shortage of ambulances, Shortage of LTC facilities. the only thing we seem to have a surplus is under performing politicians. Example, NB,1 MLA per 17,700 residents, Que, 1 MLA per 67,400 residents, Ont, 1 MLA per 117,500 residents. Have to wonder are we getting 10 times the value from our elected representatives? Doesn't seem to be the case.
Never ever
Methinks your buddies Cardy and Higgy and even your SANB cohorts Maggy and Marc know that ain't rocket science N'esy Pas?
How does police service compare?
Or how about fire services?
Next some of these dreamers will be complaining about the lack of sidewalks and street lights.
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"Lizotte said appointments aren't necessary, but each person needs to have a New Brunswick Medicare card" Methinks Mayor Joe Noel of Belledune should have called me back by now N'esy Pas?
N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Campbellton region 'on verge' of return to red phase after new cases
Restrictions tightened as Public Health sees strong signs of community spread of disease
· CBC News· Posted: Oct 22, 2020 7:27 AM AT
Higgs said he was concerned with the increasing number of cases in Zone 5 and while the zone technically remains in the orange stage, that may not be the case for long. (Serge Bouchard/Radio-Canada)
More restrictions have been announced for the Campbellton region, which recorded three new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, almost two weeks after it was pushed back to the orange phase of recovery.
The new cases consist of one person in their 40s and two in their 50s.
While Zone 5 will remain in the orange stage, people will be limited to interacting with a single household bubble, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell said.
Meanwhile, Belledune, which is not in Zone 5, will have to follow the new restrictions, and Kedgwick, which is in Zone 5, will be exempt.
Russell said there are four separate chains of infection in the region that cannot be linked.
"This is a strong indication that community spread is happening," she said.
Premier Blaine Higgs said he'd hoped that by moving the region back earlier this month from yellow to orange in the recovery process that the spread of the virus would be contained. That hasn't happened, he said, and about 300 people are now self-isolating in the region because they're at risk of developing COVID-19.
And while the zone technically remains at orange, that may not be the case for long.
"When I think about [the] Campbellton region and Zone 5, I think … we're on the verge of going back," Higgs said, referring to the red phase that the whole province was placed under early in the pandemic.
"We do not want to ... turn it into a red. We are on the verge of making a decision, though, that would significantly impact the economy and the livelihoods."
Higgs said travel into and out of the zone is "highly discouraged" but stopped short of saying it was forbidden.
'When I think about [the] Campbellton region and Zone 5, I think … we're on the verge of going back,' Higgs said, referring to the red phase that the whole province was placed under early in the pandemic. (Government of New Brunswick)
Under the red stage, which is still a possibility for the region, all elective and non-urgent medical procedures would be postponed.
K-12 schools would become virtual only but daycares would remain open. Restaurants would only be able to offer drive-thru, delivery or takeout. and only drive-in church services would be allowed
Gyms, cinemas and barbers world remain closed but most retail businesses could remain open as long as they had an operational plan.
Provincial guidelines give four criteria for when a red stage could be introduced: three unlinked chains of community transmission in six days, the health-care system being overwhelmed, outbreaks not being controlled through testing and public health measures not being effective.
There are now 81 active cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick. There were 714 tests for the virus in the province on Wednesday, bringing the total number of tests to 95,036.
The province has had 322 total cases since the pandemic began with 237 recoveries and four deaths.
Five people are now hospitalized because of the virus, including one in intensive care.
Higgs doesn't rule fines for violators
The province released some sobering statistics about the outbreak in the Campbellton region.
Over 16 days in October, the provincial positive test average was less than one per cent, but in Zone 5 it was 4.24 per cent.
While the province has an average of 14.39 cases per 100,000 "in Zone 5 the ratio is 245 cases per 100,000 people," and "COVID-19 is more prevalent in Zone 5 than anywhere else in Atlantic Canada."
Russell said she understands some residents may feel shamed and she's not looking to blame anyone for the outbreak, but she suggested people living in the area were not limiting their social contacts as much as they should be.
"Expanding the household bubbles too widely, obviously in the situation that is happening right now in the Campbellton-Restigouche area, we cannot maintain,"
Higgs said he had hoped that returning Zone 5 to the orange level would be enough to lower rates of transmission, but it has not been, which necessitated the increased restrictions.
"We will assess these activities through testing, through adherence, through additional staffing of compliance officers and, yes, fines if necessary, because we must get back under control," said Higgs.
Moncton moves forward to yellow again
While restrictions are increasing in Zone 5, the government is loosening restrictions in Zone 1, the Moncton region, although both have had outbreaks in recent weeks.
Moncton's active cases now stand at 25, and Dr. Jennifer Russell, the chief medical health officer, said its outbreak has been brought under control. The first cases in the Moncton outbreak were reported the first week of October, and the outbreak went on to include residents, staff and family at the Manoir Notre-Dame special care home.
"We are seeing fewer cases related to that outbreak and have identified links among all the reported cases," Russell said Thursday.
With no new cases in Zone 1, the region will move Friday from orange to the less restrictive yellow stage of COVID-19 recovery. All other health zones, with the exception of the Campbellton region, have been under some stage of the yellow phase since May 22.
Dr. Jennifer Russel, the chief medical officer of health, said Moncton's outbreak has now been brought under control. (Government of New Brunswick)
Under yellow, Zone 1 residents will be able to meet with people beyond a two-family bubble although, as in the rest of the province, they should limit groups.
Uncontrolled indoor or outdoor gatherings with physical distancing can be held with crowds of 50 or fewer.
Gyms, cinemas and hair-styling businesses can also reopen in yellow
Zones 5 will be the only health region of the province in the orange stage of recovery as of midnight Thursday night. Everywhere else will be in the yellow stage.
Case at NB Power plant
As Belledune has moved back into the orange stage of recovery CBC News has learned that an employee of NB Power's Belledune Generating Station in the village has tested positive for COVID-19.
Joe Noel, the mayor of Belledune, said NB Power informed him of the positive test on Sunday.
"They said they had someone who had tested positive and that some other employees were being tested," said Noel.
Noel said he didn't know if the worker was from Belledune or from another community.
During her briefing on Thursday, Russell would not confirm there was a case at the Belledune plant or if the case was the reason for the area being moved into the orange stage. She cited privacy reasons.
"The decision around … Belledune in terms of how they're included or not included in Zone 5 is based on our risk assessment," Russell said.
NB Power also declined to comment on the case at the plant.
"Any questions related to COVID should be directed to Public Health," said NB Power spokesperson Marc Belliveau.
Mass testing for Zone 5 this weekend
Public Health and Vitalité Health Network will hold two days of mass testing for COVID-19 in the Campbellton region, or Zone 5, on Saturday and Sunday.
"The objective is to get an accurate picture of the prevalence of the virus in the community given the current outbreak in that region," Vitalité spokesperson Thomas Lizotte said in a release Thursday.
As of Wednesday, there were 57 actives COVID cases in Zone 5, and it remains in the orange phase of recovery, behind almost all other health zones in the province. Moncton is also in orange but could move to the less restrictive yellow phase on Friday.
This week, the province also recorded the fourth death related to COVID-19, Dalhousie resident, Rheal Vautour, 71.
Saturday's testing will be held at the Memorial Regional Civic Centre in Campbellton and Sunday's will be in Dalhousie at Inch Arran Arena. Testing will be done from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
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Lizotte said appointments aren't necessary, but each person needs to have a New Brunswick Medicare card.
"Screening tests will be done on a first come, first served basis."
Those attending are advised to dress warmly since people will be waiting outside at times.
"All testing done during these two days is only intended for people who do not have any symptoms of COVID-19," Lizotte said in the release.Those with symptoms are asked to request a test online or call Tele-Care 811 to get an appointment at the nearest screening centre.
"The network would like to remind people about the importance of following health advice to protect themselves and their loved ones, which is to wear a mask, maintain two metres of physical distancing and wash their hands often."
Mass testing was conducted in Restigouche County during Zone 5's first outbreak in June.
Dalhousie high school remains closed after 2nd case reported
Dalhousie Regional High School remained closed Thursday and Friday after a second case of COVID-19 was confirmed at the northern New Brunswick school.
Public Health said the second case has no connection with the previously identified case at the school in Dalhousie.
Mass testing will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Memorial Regional Civic Centre in Campbellton. (Serge Bouchard/Radio Canada)
A decision on when the school will reopen will be made Friday, Anglophone School District North superintendent Mark Donovan advised parents and guardians in a letter posted on the school's website and Facebook page.
Students from Grade 6 to 12 will continue virtual learning until then.
Students expected to show up when schools open
Six schools in Zone 5, the Campbellton region, have had confirmed cases of COVID-19, including all four schools in Dalhousie, one in Campbellton and one in Balmoral.
And Anglophone School District North says all students are expected to attend school unless they have a doctor's note.
"If parents choose to keep students home when schools are open, there is no expectation for teachers to provide work for those students," superintendent Mark Donovan told parents and guardians in a letter published online.
Donovan said schools or classrooms would be closed for one of two reasons: by direction of Public Health or because of operational problem. One operational issue would be an inability to find replacement staff or supply teachers.
"A classroom or school may need to close, simply because there are not enough staff to operate the class/building."
No student-to-student transmission has been recorded in any school to date, said Public Health.
What to do if you have a symptom
People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test on the government website at gnb.ca.
Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included: a fever above 38 C, a new cough or worsening chronic cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, new onset of fatigue, new onset of muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell, and difficulty breathing.
In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes.
People with one of those symptoms should:
Stay at home.
Call Tele-Care 811 or their doctor.
Describe symptoms and travel history.
Follow instructions.
Your statement is true.