2021 was a challenging year for the health care system and the CEO of Prairie Mountain Health has high praise for health care workers in the Westman region.

Brian Schoonbaert, in a year end interview, said with Covid everything has changed and the pandemic drives how the health system works and can respond. “We plan for the worst and hope for the best but as we start 2022 it’s still all hands on deck.”

“I’m very proud of out staff and how they’ve met the challenge with all the additional things they’ve had to do not to mention reassignments.”

Schoonbaert says staffing continues to be an issue and with the omicron strain he says it’s only a matter of time before health care workers are impacted and they might get sick.

PMH has struggled to find enough workers to fill shifts lately and Schoonbaert says there are a number of factors behind staff resource issues.

“We’ve dealt with this issue for years but it has definitely gotten worse in the last little while.”

On the financial front the CEO says the region is nearing the break even point. “I have to say all the covid costs which run into the millions are covered by Manitoba Health. In terms of regular operations we’re expecting about a break even.”

Looking ahead Brian Schoonbaert doesn’t know if there’s light at the end of the runnel but he hopes things improve and we can may have to learn to live with this on a smaller scale.