Closure of the Emergency Department

Media Release

Emergency Department Closure from December 30, 2022, to January 3, 2023

Hawkesbury —The Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH) is closing the Emergency Department starting on Friday, December 30, 2022 at 6 p.m. until January 3, at 8:00 am. The closure is due to high volumes in the Emergency Room (ER) and to a nursing staff shortage.

Like the rest of the province, HGH has been facing shortages in health human resources for the past months, particularly in nursing. To manage this nursing shortage, the organization has launched different initiatives and is monitoring the situation on a daily basis.

The respiratory illness in the community has kept the ER very busy in the past month, and its impact was even greater in the last few days. Therefore, our ER will be closed from December 30, 2022, at 6 p.m. to January 3, 2023, 8 a.m.

“For the past year, we managed to keep the Emergency Department open because of the commitment and dedication of our nursing, medical and management teams. Unfortunately, this situation is not sustainable in the coming days given the challenges brought by the respiratory illnesses that continue to impact our community including our staff,” explains Frédéric Beauchemin, HGH Chief Executive Officer.

To provide quality patient care with an appropriate nursing staffing levels, HGH Leadership Team and the Board of Directors reviewed potential service reductions and redeployment across the organization. “HGH selected solutions that have the least impact to patients and their families. We have already reduced surgeries and endoscopies to ensure services during the Holiday Season,” explains M. Guy Yelle, Chairman of the Board. “The closure of the Emergency Department allows for a small group of nursing staff to provide patient care and replace the employees that are unable to come to work.”

Please note that the Family Birthing Center is operating as usual any patient in labour should proceed as usual.

Patients requiring emergency care during the closure should present to one of the neighbouring hospitals or call 911 to be taken to the nearest hospital.

Neighbouring hospitals include:

  • Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria
  • Cornwall Community Hospital in Cornwall
  • Hôpital Montfort in Ottawa
  • The Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa
  • The Ottawa Heart Institute
  • The Lachute Hospital
  • The St-Jerome Hospital
  • The St-Eustache Hospital
  • Suroît Regional Hospital
  • The Papineau Hospital
  • The Hospital La Cité de la Santé

For alternative resources to the ER for respiratory illnesses please consult the page Emergency Department and Respiratory Illness.

For more information, please contact:

Edith Léveillé
Coordinator, Community Relations
Hawkesbury and District General Hospital
Telephone: 613-632-1111, ext. 61005
Email: edleveille@hgh.ca