January 12, 2026
Dear colleagues,
I want to sincerely thank you for the professionalism, dedication, and compassion you continue to show during a difficult period for our health system. I know many of you are working in environments where bed capacity is tight, and patient flow is challenging. I want you to know that your efforts are seen, valued, and deeply appreciated.
Across Health PEI, limited bed availability — particularly related to patients waiting in hospital for long term care or other appropriate settings — is creating sustained pressure on services and teams. These pressures affect how patients move through the system and the conditions in which you deliver care. Ensuring a safe environment for patients and staff remains our priority.
To better support this work, we have activated our Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). Its role is to improve coordination, support patient flow, and help remove barriers, so frontline teams and operational leaders are better supported. We are actively exploring all available options to create capacity and relieve pressure across the system. The EOC is focused on freeing existing capacity through safe, facilitated and supported discharge planning with home care and primary care, working to build acute care capacity by bringing on additional beds where possible, and transitioning alternate level of care patients as rapidly as possible out of acute care to more appropriate care settings.
Our values continue to guide us — we act with care, and we work together, for our patients and for one another.
I encourage you to care for yourselves and each other. Supports are available through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Human Resources, and your leadership teams. Please reach out if you need support.
Thank you for everything you do every day.
With gratitude,
Mel