Summary

• Northern Health launched an emergency department status website to inform people about service interruptions
• The webpage gives northern residents more information about current emergency department status for their health-care needs

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Northern B.C. residents needing emergency department care have a new resource to let them know how to access care in the event local services are interrupted.

“When emergency departments are temporarily unavailable for any reason, the most important thing for someone facing a medical emergency is knowing where to go for care,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This webpage helps people quickly see the status of emergency departments in their community and find clear information about other options when they need non-emergency care.”

Northern Health launched an emergency department (ED) status webpage to notify the public in real time about service interruptions at their local facility due to staffing challenges.

The site indicates the status of emergency department services around the Northern Health region, stating whether a facility’s emergency department is open or temporarily closed. Northern Health examined various models and determined that the status of local emergency departments is more informative than comparisons of wait times between facilities that vary in size, the scope of care provided and the distances between them.

“Given the geographic realities of a region as large as Northern Health, where hospital facilities are relatively distant from one another, current emergency department status is the key information for community residents to have access to,” said Lisa Zetes-Zanatta, vice-president of clinical operations, Northern Health. “Our partners in patient transport are always aware of local ED operations and challenges and of the need to ensure patients are transported to the appropriate facility for their care.”

People visiting the site who may not need immediate emergency care will also be able to explore a range of resources available to them, including information about urgent and primary care centres, virtual-care options and community-based resources.

Northern Health’s Emergency Department Stabilization Task Force, established in 2024, continues to identify innovative ways to reduce emergency department service interruptions. While some communities continue to experience persistent staffing challenges contributing to emergency department service interruptions, overall, the task force’s efforts contributed to an approximately 35% decrease in the number of service interruptions regionwide in the first seven months of 2025, compared to the same timeframe in 2024.

In addition to the new website, Northern Health will continue to share information about expected service interruptions on social media and other channels, so community members are informed about their options for accessing emergency and non-urgent care.

Learn More:

• To learn more about the new website, visit: https://www.northernhealth.ca/emergency-department-status