Re-open the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital Obstetrics Program and stop the closure of small town birthing wards
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Banff Mineral Springs Hospital administration, Covenant Health, Banff Town Council, and honourable members of the Alberta Provincial Legislative Assembly.
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Sponsored By:
Bow Valley Residents Supporting Banff's Labour & Delivery Program -
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Citing a shortage of nursing staff and an unwillingness to jeopardize patient safety, the decision has been made in March 2009, for at least a 3 month closure of the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital Obstetrics Program. However, the threat of shuttering the program permanently and/or consolidating the program with Canmore's already overcrowded birthing program is very strong and will take away one more essential service from the Bow Valley community.
The hospital administration also cites the need to be able to treat ski and snowboard related injuries this time of year as a large factor why nurses at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital are unavailable for obstetrics. Even recognizing that most of the people in the Bow Valley participate in these sports, we think most would agree that non-life threatening injuries should not take priority of one of the fundamental processes of life, childbirth.
A prime difficulty with this decision to close the program is that it still jeopardizes patient safety by forcing most expectant parents to travel at least 30 minutes to Canmore General Hospital (assuming they have room) or even an hour and a half drive minimum to one of Calgary's hospitals.
Compound in the threat of severe weather conditions in the Canadian Rockies and Highway 1 and there is potentially even more danger to parents, children, medical staff, and ambulance drivers.
We would like the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital administration, Covenant Health, and the Alberta provincial government to immediately focus on redirecting non-life threatening sports-related injuries to Canmore and Calgary instead, allow Mineral Springs Hospital staff to operate the Obstetrics Program, and actively recruit qualified nursing applicants to ensure the Obstetrics Program at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital stays open and provides the personal, calming birthing experiences patients in the Bow Valley deserve.
We would also like the Alberta provincial government and all hospital administrations to seriously re-examine the closures of small community obstetrics programs happening throughout the province, assist in their re-opening, and ensure that all baby delivery and support wards are kept open and staffed as an essential community service.
Thank you.
The hospital administration also cites the need to be able to treat ski and snowboard related injuries this time of year as a large factor why nurses at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital are unavailable for obstetrics. Even recognizing that most of the people in the Bow Valley participate in these sports, we think most would agree that non-life threatening injuries should not take priority of one of the fundamental processes of life, childbirth.
A prime difficulty with this decision to close the program is that it still jeopardizes patient safety by forcing most expectant parents to travel at least 30 minutes to Canmore General Hospital (assuming they have room) or even an hour and a half drive minimum to one of Calgary's hospitals.
Compound in the threat of severe weather conditions in the Canadian Rockies and Highway 1 and there is potentially even more danger to parents, children, medical staff, and ambulance drivers.
We would like the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital administration, Covenant Health, and the Alberta provincial government to immediately focus on redirecting non-life threatening sports-related injuries to Canmore and Calgary instead, allow Mineral Springs Hospital staff to operate the Obstetrics Program, and actively recruit qualified nursing applicants to ensure the Obstetrics Program at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital stays open and provides the personal, calming birthing experiences patients in the Bow Valley deserve.
We would also like the Alberta provincial government and all hospital administrations to seriously re-examine the closures of small community obstetrics programs happening throughout the province, assist in their re-opening, and ensure that all baby delivery and support wards are kept open and staffed as an essential community service.
Thank you.
263 Signatures
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Chad Kerychuk
- Comments
- This is for all families, friends and families-to-be in the Bow Valley community.
- Address
- Address
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Corrine Becker
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Cindy Schatkoski
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Sharon Doupe
- Comments
- This move to remove this primary service is appalling and a perfect demonstration of poor management at a basic level! Where is the support of our MLA Janis Tarchuk? Even a temporay closure is beyond acceptable!
- Address
- P.O. Box 2801, Banff, AB, T1L 1C5
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Michelle R. Wordley
- Comments
- Birthing is more critical than ski injuries. Pleasure before life issues. Huh! Since when.
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Shizue Kern
- Comments
- Babies are the ones who carry our future, simple as it is. Why is so hard to consider this is the number one important thing in our lives?
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Kimberley Fink-Jensen
- Comments
- As a researcher of birth experiences and the mother of two, I know how important access to local obstetric care is. Please save Banff's obstetrics program to preserve women's and families' rights to local options.
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Heather Bodnarchuk
- Address
- Box 3054, Banff Alberta T1L 1C7
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Cindy Bunz
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Michael Ryan
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Mona Soyland
- Comments
- what is a woman to do in an emergency???
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Paula Mendoza
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Catrina Santa Lucia
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marc marciniuk
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Sarah Alexander
- Comments
- I am interested in a recruiitment nursing package as I am a labour and delivery nurse
- Address
- Port moody. BC
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sini
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Elisha taylor
- Address
- PO BOX 3084 Banff, AB T1L1C7
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Carolyn Scurfield
- Address
- Box 2160 Banff
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Peter Sage
- Comments
- This program MUST be allowed to continue! There has to be a win-win solution to make this work and in the interests of the residents and public opinion, that must be looked at further before a decision is made!
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Andrew Gallerani
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Roxanne Bloomfield
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Claudia Vaillancourt
- Comments
- Idea: Open the program on a part-time basis (for example, open on the slow days of the week)
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Michaela Boehnisch
- Comments
- Keep the Banff Hospital community service oriented, not tourist oriented
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Allison Warren
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Kate Inch
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Kate Albrecht
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Julie Gardiner
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Anna Randell
- Address
- Exshaw
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Larry Kelly
- Comments
- Please reconsider this decision!
- Address
- PO Box 4317 Banff, AB T1L 1E7
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Sheila Hodgson
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Naomi Langer-McIntosh
- Address
- Box 2533 Banff AB T1L 1C3
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Sarah Cotnam
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Penny Brocklehurst
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laura
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David Fullerton
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W G Aikins
- Comments
- A non-resident breast augmentation or tummy tuck is more important to covenant health than serving a community and risking the lives of women and infants, our most vulnerable demographic-disgraceful
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- banff/calgary
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Jessie McCaull
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B. Osachoff
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Wayne Kemp
- Comments
- unbelievable??
- Address
- Edmonton, Alberta
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Karyn Brewster
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Astrid Selimos
- Comments
- В
- Address
- 512 deer street, Banff
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Jane Gilmar
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Marie Gath
- Comments
- This is so important to many of us!! I hope that the best will happen for us!
- Address
- Exshaw, Alberta
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Jennifer Smith
- Address
- Exshaw
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Shelley Simonson
- Comments
- My son was born at this hospital - I believe it is an essential service and the removal of the obstetric program would be devastating.
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- St. Albert, Alberta
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Sarah & Jaison Van Tine
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Antonietta Cirelli
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katie smith
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Donna Politopoulos
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DOUG MCPHERSON
- Comments
- with such a young population in Banff it is imperative to keep the maternity Ward in Banff
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263
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