Province Taking Action To Stabilize Rural Healthcare Facilities

The provincial government is taking action to help “stabilize” some of the pressures being felt on rural health facilities. There has been a steady stream of temporary rural ER closings across the province in recent months.
Reimbursement rates for ER coverage at smaller rural health centers have been increased as a temporary measure until the end of October to help retain existing physicians and attract other physicians to fill vacancies in Class B locations. Premier Andrew Furey says the change comes after discussions with the NLMA which proposed the incentives. They plan to implement more long-term solutions in the near future. Minister Furey says incentives are one of the levers they can use to “stop the bleeding,” as he put it.