ARCOLA - Employees of the Arcola Health Centre (AHC) were treated to a staff appreciation lunch Aug. 17 organized by a group of local volunteers focused on retaining full health-care services in Arcola.
The group decided to recognize and salute the hard-working employees of AHC to begin raising awareness for the need to recruit and retain health-care workers in the area.
Local volunteers who organized the event included former AHC registered nurse Carol Brown, who retired in 2017 after nearly 40 years in Arcola; her daughter Kelly Brown, who has been an RN in Arcola since 2011; Joanne Hollingshead, who enjoyed a long career at the hospital from 1974-2014; and Sheila Sim, who is a local resident that has been a part of the efforts for recruitment and retention in Arcola since 2006.
In the past, the area recruitment and retention committee was actively involved in supporting the Arcola Health Centre and its staff but the need for support had disappeared after years with more consistent staffing.
Recently, with more frequent hospital closures, the renewed need for involvement and support on a local level has spurred volunteers to reform the committee.
While Arcola and Carlyle have been fortunate in their recruitment of physicians to the area, nursing vacancies have not been filled with the same level of success. Burnout and a need for a better work life balance has many nurses across the province looking for a change.
“We know our hospital staff are doing whatever they can to keep AHC open and care for our community. Being that they, along with their families, live here, we know they feel pressure to keep the doors open and guilt when there is a closure. The group wanted to show our appreciation and support." said Sheila Sim.
"We would also like to encourage area residents to consider joining the recruitment and retainment cCommittee by contacting one of us. We need our hospital and should do everything in our power to keep it viable and open.”
