New staff have been hired to address a shortage of employees in Sechelt Hospital’s laundry facilities, which includes services for the Shorncliffe and Totem long-term care facilities.
VCH had been “experiencing staffing shortages at (Sechelt) hospital for the past few weeks,” Jeremy Deutsch, public affairs specialist with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), told Coast Reporter via email.
Additional personnel have been hired to address laundry service staffing shortages at Sechelt Hospital, contractor K-Bro Linen Services told Coast Reporter.
“I can confirm that there has been turnover with our staff, however, we have succeeded in filling those positions and are meeting expected service levels,” Ryo Utahara, an executive director with K-Bro wrote in an email dated Nov. 5.
Deutsch also confirmed the new hires are scheduled to start work the week of Nov. 8.
He noted that K-Bro had been active in recruiting new staff using various channels and strategies and VCH also worked with the contractor to help attract qualified candidates. An online job listing available as of Nov. 7 lists a full-time Laundry Attendant position with K-Bro at the hospital pays between $19.42 and $21 per hour plus benefits.
The on-site laundry service at the hospital falls under the VCH’s laundry and linen services agreement, which is set to expire in 2025, Deutsch said. That agreement is not included in the recently announced provincial repatriation of medical facility housekeeping and food-service contracts. Those efforts are transferring workers that had been employed by private contractors at health-care facilities to provincial health-care authorities.
