Northern B.C. residents now have a new tool to check the availability of emergency department care in their communities.
In a press release on Jan. 22, Northern Health announced the launch of an emergency department (ED) status webpage designed to notify the public in real time when local emergency departments are temporarily unavailable due to staffing challenges.
The site shows whether emergency departments across the Northern Health region are open or temporarily closed.
“When emergency departments are temporarily unavailable for any reason, the most important thing for someone facing a medical emergency is knowing where to go for care,” Josie Osborne, minister of health, said in the release.
“This webpage helps people quickly see the status of emergency departments in their community and find clear information about other options when they need non-emergency care.”
In the release, Northern Health said it examined several models before deciding to focus on the current status of emergency departments rather than wait-time comparisons, noting differences in facility size, scope of services and geographic distance across the region.
“Given the geographic realities of a region as large as Northern Health, where hospital facilities are relatively distant from one another, current emergency department status is the key information for community residents to have access to,” Lisa Zetes-Zanatta, vice-president of clinical operations for Northern Health, said.
“Our partners in patient transport are always aware of local ED operations and challenges and of the need to ensure patients are transported to the appropriate facility for their care.”
The website also directs people who may not require immediate emergency care to other options, including urgent and primary care centres, virtual-care services and community-based resources.
According to the release, the initiative is part of the work of Northern Health’s Emergency Department Stabilization Task Force, established in 2024 to address service interruptions.
Northern Health said the task force’s efforts contributed to an approximately 35 per cent decrease in emergency department service interruptions across the region during the first seven months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
The health authority added it will continue to share information about anticipated service interruptions through social media and other communication channels to help residents understand their options for accessing emergency and non-urgent care.