Newfoundland and Labrador’s health minister said she wasn’t fond of the approach, but she expects a deal is “imminent” with a team of doctors who threatened a mass resignation at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital in St. John’s.
Krista Lynn Howell told reporters Friday afternoon that her department has been working with the provincial health authority and the medical association to find a solution to the problems with internal medicine at the city’s second-largest hospital.
The five internists warned of an “impending crisis” following the loss of the medical residency program at the hospital — stripping away valuable coverage for 24/7 patient care.
“I may disagree with the tactics that were deployed to get us to this point today,” Howell said.
“But nobody has thrown down and went home. So we do believe that we’re in a place right now where a resolution is imminent and we’re confident the plan will resolve this issue.”
Howell gave no particulars, instead deferring to Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA).
In a brief comment, Kyle Rees — a lawyer retained by the five doctors — said he’s encouraged.
“I know the parties are working on it, and that’s a positive development. It’s something that needs to be taken seriously, and it sounds like that’s happening.”
News of the resignation notice caused a frenzy on Friday, but it wasn’t the first time the team of physicians has threatened to walk away.
CBC Investigates has obtained a letter dated Jan. 1, 2024, in which the internal medicine team at St. Clare’s wrote to the premier’s office and threatened to withhold services within 20 days.
They cited reasons such as “administrative burden, limited resources and an overwhelming patient load,” as well as compensation “significantly lower” than the national average.
“We understand that our decision to withdraw services may cause inconvenience and disruption to both N.L. Health Services and our patients,” they wrote at the time.
“However, we firmly believe that this step is necessary to draw attention to the urgent need for change.”
The letter did not result in a job action — which is prohibited under their collective agreement — but three of the five signatories to the letter no longer work at St. Clare’s.
Barry Petten, the Progressive Conservative health critic, said he wasn’t surprised by the new resignation letter sent on Monday.
He said he’s had contact with internists from St. Clare’s going back to the first resignation threat last year.
Petten said he knows the doctors reached out to the last three health ministers — including Premier John Hogan.
“And yet, no action,” he said. “This is not a new thing. Eighteen months later, there’s no action.”
Howell acknowledged the issue has been ongoing, but said talks have been happening for several months.
She said a plan to address their concerns was well underway before they were told the residency program was coming to an end, creating a new problem to overcome.
In a statement on Friday, Memorial University said it made the decision to cut the residency program “in the best interest of our residents’ training and well-being.”
The statement said the university’s medical school had concerns about “a lack of adequate support and appropriate supervision” for residents, leading to the entire program being terminated.
Spokesperson Chad Pelley said some modifications were made as concerns were raised, but they weren’t enough to satisfy national standards during an accreditation review last November.
Formal notice was given in early 2025, outlining the issues that needed to be resolved.
The internal medicine residency at St. Clare’s will come to an end on July 1.
Howell, meanwhile, said the residency program is important to the hospital, and she’s hoping to see it restored in the future.
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