Local Business Steps Up to Offer Accommodation for NHH Staff

• May 20, 2020
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MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2020

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY – Northumberland Heights Wellness Retreat and Spa has generously stepped up to support Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering to temporarily house staff and physicians at no cost. NHH has been coordinating with this local business to provide staff and physicians with ready access to alternative housing arrangements during the pandemic should they require them.

Like many healthcare and first responder organizations in the province, NHH began looking into alternative housing opportunities close to NHH in late March to support local staff and physicians.

Northumberland Heights Wellness Retreat and Spa was quick to step forward and generously offer access to housing at no cost.  Access to short-term accommodation opportunities has since been offered to core Critical Care and Emergency Department staff and physicians who might be challenged with working extra-long hours, having a long commute home, and working consecutive days/shifts. In addition, these housing alternatives have also been offered to staff and physicians from these and other departments who would feel more comfortable staying in a location other than their residence after shifts due to family situations and concerns.

“We’d like to join all Canadians in expressing our gratitude to frontline staff and in particular, NHH, for their passionate and hard work at this difficult time,” explains Co-Founder of Northumberland Heights Wellness Retreat and Spa, Heena Sehgal, when asked what inspired them to make this generous offer. “After working long hours, we hope the added comfort and convenience will help strengthen the hands that are doing so much for so many of us.”

A process has been in place at NHH for staff and physicians to request the alternative accommodations through Human Resources since early April. At this time, as NHH has not seen the high COVID-19 critical care patient volumes that some other hospitals have, the uptake for alternative accommodations amongst staff and physicians has remained low. These options remain in place should needs arise.

“We are very grateful to Northumberland Heights Wellness Retreat and Spa for helping us plan for the worst,” shares Linda Davis, NHH President and CEO. “At this point, we have thankfully only had to take advantage of the generous offer for a small number of individuals. We remain hopeful that we will never need to use the full complement of accommodation options that have been so generously made available to us, but we are certainly relieved to know this help is available should we need it. The risks posed by COVID-19 are not behind us yet.”

For the latest information on NHH’s response to COVID-19 as well as links to local and provincial resources, please visit: www.nhh.ca/covid-19.

For more information on how you can make a gift to support NHH through the NHH Foundation, please visit: www.nhhfoundation.ca.