Home / Health / No Funding, No Surge Beds: HDGH Prepares for Busy Season
No Funding, No Surge Beds: HDGH Prepares for Busy Season
24 Sep
Summary
- Hospital won't open 20 surge beds without provincial funding.
- Opening surge beds cost nearly $2 million over the past years.
- Hospital aims to eliminate deficit by March 2028 via HSSP.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) is preparing for the upcoming respiratory season, but it will not open its 20-bed 2North Surge Unit without provincial funding. This unit typically helps relieve pressure on other local hospitals. Opening these surge beds has cost HDGH close to $2 million in previous years, primarily due to staffing expenses. The hospital is focused on eliminating its operating deficit by March 2028, a goal supported by its Hospital Sector Stabilization Plan (HSSP). As of April 2026, the deficit has decreased from $8.2 million in April 2025 to just over $4 million. According to Shannon Landry, VP of Restorative Care and Chief Nursing Executive, HDGH has several strategies to manage increased patient volume before resorting to opening the surge unit. These include optimizing bed usage and potentially relocating rehabilitation patients. However, the cost of operating the surge beds is substantial, estimated at $250,000 to $300,000 monthly. Therefore, unless funding is secured, the unit will remain non-operational. The hospital continues to monitor respiratory illness trends with Public Health, anticipating a potentially rapid onset of the season.
