Reducing ALC patients will help hospital overcrowding, HSN says

Health Sciences North is taking steps to reduce the number of alternate level of care, or ALC patients.

ALC is a designation for patients who do not need acute care, but still need help beyond what they can get at home.

Over the past few months, Health Sciences North has reduced the number of these patients from more than 100 per day to less than 75.

David McNeil, the hospital's vice president of clinical services, says the goal is to increase patient flow and reduce overcrowding.

"At the time of admission we're having conversations with families to make sure they understand what our goal is: to treat the acute phase of illness and move them through the system and not assume they're going to reside here for long periods of time," he said.

McNeil says finding other beds in the community has helped reduce the number of patients stuck in the hospital's hallways.

McNeiladds the hospital has been working closely with the Northeast Local Health Integration Networkto find suitable beds elsewhere in the community.

For example, the Daffodil Lodge, a transitional care space located in the hospital in the Northeast Cancer Centre, has opened beds to take on some ofHSN's overflow.

"We still do have patients in overcapacity areas in our hospital, but there has been improvements in the numbers of patients in what we call unconventional bed spaces," he continued.

"But we're not there yet. We still have to make more improvements on our alternate level of care. 75 is still high."

McNeil adds the people most likely to receive ALC designation are elderly patients or those with cognitive challenges, like dementia.