Hamilton public health short about 100 full-time employees to provide all programs

Thestar.com
Nov. 19, 2021

Hamilton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson acknowledged the city is short by about 100 full-time public health staff needed to fight the pandemic.

During the Nov. 15 board of health meeting, Richardson said staff are examining the city’s “deficits of care” and how to address those programs, such as food safety complaints, health hazards, inspections of food premises, and tobacco cessation clinics that public health oversaw pre-pandemic.

“We are about 100 (staff) short (of) where we (would) like to be,” said Richardson.

Richardson told councillors in September that because of ongoing demand for COVID-19 related services, it forced public health to redeploy staff from existing programs for over 18 months. There are several reasons for the 100 positions going unfilled, including burnout, turnover and staff moving from job to job, said Richardson.

For instance, vaccinations for elementary schoolchildren for hepatitis B, meningococcal disease and HPV dropped in 2021 compared to 2019.

And since the pandemic, there has been no pest control inspections, no standing water inspections, and no food handler certifications.

Other services that have been “on hold” include tobacco enforcement, drug strategy, prenatal and parenting groups, food safety, health hazards and Lyme tick submissions.

Aisling Higgins, senior communications officer, stated further in an email that for public health to “sustain ongoing COVID-19 related response, and resume our services to previous pre-pandemic service levels,” it would require 100 full-time employees.

Higgins said the pandemic has put “immense strain” on staff, which has impacted the city’s ability to continue operating COVID-19 related programs, as well as resuming pre-pandemic public health services.

The department has had to redeploy staff across public health services' usual program areas, hiring temporary staff and using about 75 provincial personnel to support Hamilton staff, she said.

“This has resulted in resources being unavailable for regular public health services programs to run as planned and meet targets,” said Higgins.

In July 2020, councillors agreed to spend $2 million to hire 92 health-care personnel to fight the pandemic, with the understanding that the province would pick up the tab.

The city hired 75 temporary full-time health-care personnel starting with about 45 in August 2020 and the rest later in the year. The city also hired 17 staff to conduct testing and contact tracing.

Richardson confirmed the city is “looking at recruiting some personnel” to address those “deficits of care.” Recruitment is being conducted beyond the city and Ontario, depending upon the position and the qualifications the position needs, said Richardson.

Stoney Creek Coun. Brad Clark said the city should seek candidates in other provinces.

“We may find some candidates who are interested in moving to the big city,” said Clark.