Central Health President and CEO Andrée Robichaud says employees are frustrated by the harassment they face on social media. (Carolyn Stokes/CBC)
Central Health’s CEO is calling for kindness and respect from both staff and patients as medical professionals in central Newfoundland face social media harassment.
Andrée Robichaud says what began as support for health workers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into hostility in recent weeks, fueled by long wait times in emergency rooms in Newfoundland and Labrador and a problem recruiting personnel resulting in staff shortages.
“We have recruitment problems, like the rest of the country. People are frustrated and I understand that, but they really need to treat our staff with respect and our staff needs to be respectful with our customers,” Robichaud told CBC News on Monday.
The situation came to a head earlier this month when health officials issued a statement urging all parties to remember to be kind and respectful after Facebook posts about Central Health employees were shared on social media.
Robichaud said the posts included some nurses by name, calling the posts rude and demeaning. Some affected employees asked health authorities if the posts could be considered defamatory and asked their employer if they would be supported if the incident was taken to court.
“I had meetings with a group of staff in one of my regions where they felt attacked by the community and they felt very bad,” she said. “They don’t deserve it.”
Emergency departments are facing long waits in Newfoundland and Labrador as a shortage of recruits forces hospitals understaffed. (CBC)
Robichaud said similar incidents have also occurred in central health facilities, where patients and staff have gotten into verbal altercations.
Health officials sent a notice to employees in June asking them to be more respectful in situations that could become hostile, she said.
“It’s very difficult for our staff and I think if the public has any concerns, we have a mechanism,” Robichaud added.
“If we have employees who are not responding appropriately, we want to know about it. But to go on social media and attack our employees, I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
CBC Newfoundland Morning7:13 This is something we’ve heard a lot over the last few years – “above all else, be good.” But it seems some people online aren’t following that when it comes to posts about Central Health employees. We will hear from the CEO
Let’s face it, the past few years have been tough on all of us. But for people who work in health care, they have been extremely difficult. At the start of the pandemic, there was an outpouring of support for these workers. Recently, however, that has changed for some Central Health employees. CEO Andre Robichaud issued a public statement last week asking for kindness and understanding for them online.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
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