For immediate release: May 16, 2023
For more information please contact:
Lauren Hunter
Communications Lead, Haliburton Highlands Health Services
lhunter@hhhs.ca
HHHS Releases ED Consolidation Plan Details
Following the public announcement that Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) would be
consolidating its emergency services at its Haliburton site as of June 1, 2023, staff and leadership have
been diligently working to confirm the technical elements of the transition.
The decision to consolidate was based on severe and on-going shortages of physicians and nurses at
both the Haliburton and Minden sites, with HHHS needing to bring together its services and staffing at
one site in order to maintain any emergency services in Haliburton County. The Haliburton site was
chosen because it is the location of the only in-patient (acute care) beds in Haliburton County, which
require physician coverage from the Emergency Department in case of a medical emergency. The
organization fought as hard and as long as it could to keep both Emergency Departments open, but with
no long-term solutions to the staffing shortages, it couldn’t go on any longer. Additional details about
the rationale to consolidate are available at www.hhhs.ca/news/frequently-asked-questions-
emergency-department-consolidation.
The detailed consolidation plan is based on the comprehensive HHHS Emergency Department Closure
Protocol that was initially developed in the fall of 2021, when the organization was first faced with the
prospect of multiple, temporary, short-notice closures of one, or more likely, both Emergency
Departments due to staffing shortages. The staff most directly impacted by consolidation have now had
an opportunity to confirm which options would work best for patient and work flow.
“HHHS is grateful for the incredible work of our hospital, clinical, facilities, IT, and support teams and
managers, as well as our other partners, in confirming the detailed consolidation plan,” said Carolyn
Plummer, President & CEO of HHHS. “Our staff are the experts when it comes to patient care and their
working environment, so it was important that they were able to be part of this process.”
An overview of the Emergency Department Consolidation Plan is available on the HHHS website at
www.hhhs.ca/hospital/emergency-department-status.
Work will continue to implement the Emergency Department Consolidation Plan, under the guidance of
a Transition Task Force. HHHS will also continue to explore options for short-term and long-term use of
the Minden Emergency Department space, with conversations with the community to be initiated after
the transition has been completed.
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About Haliburton Highlands Health Services
Leaders in Innovative Rural Health Care
Haliburton Highlands Health Services, working with partners and accountable to our community,
promotes wellness and provides access to essential, high quality health services including: Primary Care,
Hospital (Acute Inpatient and Emergency Care) Long-Term Care, End-of-Life Care, Mental Health &
Addictions Services and Community Support Services.