Across Niagara, hospital programs and services are changing. Drop by an information open house Jan. 18 to learn more and speak to Niagara Health System leaders about …current and future programs at Welland Site; emergency and urgent care services; hospital improvement plan; construction update on new healthcare complex and hospital foundations. Free admission and parking.

Niagara Health Information Open House – Welland
Niagara Centre YMCA, Woodlawn Road, Welland
Monday, January 18
5 to 8 p.m.

More information on these Open Houses is available at www.niagarahealth.on.ca.

For more information, contact

Caroline Bourque Wiley
Consultant, Public Affairs
905-378-4647, ext. 43113
cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca

Dr. Xu will be seeing patients at Niagara Health’s Port Colborne Site. Join us for a welcoming reception and tour of Dr. Xu’s main floor offices, as he officially cuts the ribbon to open the suite.

• When: Monday, December 7, 2009

• Where: Port Colborne Site, Sugarloaf Street
  McKellar Hall, Main Floor

• Time: 12:45 – Ribbon-cutting and tour

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Caroline Bourque Wiley
Consultant, Public Affairs
905-378-4647, ext. 43113

cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca

With the changes occurring in healthcare, including the focus on aging at home strategies, home care enhancements and community-based services, the length of stay for CCC patients continues to decline, enabling the hospital to reduce the number of beds in this specialized area of care.

CCC is a higher level of care than what is provided by long-term care homes and other nursing facilities. These medically complex patients have chronic illnesses or disabilities, and they typically require 24-hour nursing care and access to complex medical services. This level of care is very different from the level of care provided in acute care beds, which are for patients requiring short-term medical treatment, including those recovering from surgery or admitted to hospital through the Emergency Department due to an acute illness or injury.  

“Complex continuing care has significantly evolved over the last several years,” says Sue Matthews, Vice President Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive. “Several years ago, these patients stayed in hospital an average of 500 days. Now, CCC patients typically spend between 60 and 70 days in hospital before transitioning home or to a lower level of care.”

Meetings were held today with NHS staff members who work in the areas that will be impacted by the bed closures. Approximately 40 full-time and part-time staff will be directly affected. We will be working with our union partners to minimize the impact of any layoffs and are committed to adhering to the collective agreements.

The closures are scheduled to take place in late April-early May 2010 as follows: seven beds at Douglas Memorial Site, 10 beds at Port Colborne Site; 22 beds at Welland Site. Once the closures occur, there will be 195 CCC beds across five sites of the NHS (all sites but St. Catharines General and Ontario Street Site in St. Catharines).

The bed closures are consistent with what was put forward in the HIP and with the Port Colborne Site and the Douglas Memorial Site as well as the Memorandums of Understanding agreed to by each site’s local physicians and the NHS.

Complex Continuing Care units also provide care to palliative patients, slow-paced recovery patients, and those awaiting transfer to a rehab bed in the community or a long-term care home.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Caroline Bourque Wiley
Consultant, Public Affairs
905-378-4647, ext. 43113
cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca

Background on Complex Continuing Care

What is Complex Continuing Care
Complex Continuing Care is an inpatient program for medically-complex patients whose condition requires an in-hospital stay, regular assessment and active care management by the healthcare team.

The primary focus of Complex Continuing Care is on independence and discharge home. Currently, the average length of stay for CCC patients is 70.4 days.

About the CCC Healthcare Team
The CCC Healthcare Team is multi-disciplinary. It includes:

• Hospitalist (hospital-based physician specialist) and/or Family Physician
• Nurse Practitioner
• Registered Nurse
• Registered Practical Nurse
• Personal Support Worker
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Recreational Therapy
• Case Manager
• Speech Therapy
• Clinical Nutrition
• Social Work/Pastoral Care

• Niagara Health Information Open House – Port Colborne
  Port Colborne Library in the Atrium, 310 King St.
  Tuesday, November 24
  5 to 8 p.m.

• Niagara Health Information Open House – Fort Erie
  Fort Erie YMCA in the Foyer, 1555 Garrison Rd.
  Thursday, November 26
  5 to 8 p.m.

More information on these Open Houses is available at www.niagarahealth.on.ca.

Niagara Health Information Open House – Niagara Falls

St. Andrew’s United Church, 5645 Morrison Street
Thursday, October 29
5 to 8 p.m.
Use Church Office entrance

Free admission and parking

See more information on our Community Forums and Events page.

For more information, members of the media are asked to contact:

Caroline Bourque Wiley
Consultant, Public Affairs
905-378-4647, ext. 43113
cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca

NHS and Niagara Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) worked collaboratively to implement this new policy for specific patients in Fort Erie and Port Colborne to be taken to their local UCC. Acutely ill emergency patients and those requiring specialized services will continue to be taken to the most appropriate Emergency Room (ER). These new guidelines were introduced September 28, 2009, at the Douglas Memorial UCC in Fort Erie.

For information on the Urgent Care Centre model, visit: http://www.niagarahealth.on.ca

For information on ambulance services, visit: www.niagararegion.ca

QUOTES

“The new urgent care ambulance guidelines have worked very well in Fort Erie,” says Debbie Sevenpifer, NHS President and Chief Executive Officer. “We appreciate the tremendous efforts of our urgent care physicians, nurses and staff to support these new guidelines and are very pleased to have specific ambulance transport available to the Port UCC.”

“Paramedics remain committed to providing quality pre-hospital care across Niagara, and are pleased to work collaboratively with the NHS to honour this commitment for the residents of Port Colborne. It is essential health services are provided in a timely and efficient manner and the focus remains on the patient,” said John Cunnane, Chief of Niagara EMS.

Niagara Health System (NHS) and Niagara Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) have worked collaboratively through recent months to develop new guidelines for nonemergency patients to be transferred to Urgent Care Centres. Acutely ill emergency patients will continue to be taken to the most appropriate Emergency Room (ER).

These guidelines will be implemented and trialed initially in Fort Erie and will be introduced in Port Colborne sometime in October.

QUOTES

“We are extremely pleased to have these protocols in place to support the new Urgent Care Centres in Fort Erie and Port Colborne,” says Debbie Sevenpifer, NHS President and Chief Executive Officer. “A number of people worked very diligently to achieve this result on behalf of our patients including our doctors, NEMS and Mayor Doug Martin and his team at the Town of Fort Erie.”

“This process will better allow EMS to match the health care services patients in Fort Erie need with the care available in their community” said John Cunnane, Chief of Niagara EMS. “Having guidelines such as these enable paramedics in collaboration with other health professionals to make these decisions safely and effectively, keeping the best interests of the patients as the focus”.

For more information, contact:

Learn More at Public Information Session

Urgent Care Public Info Sessions:

Sept 15
Fort Erie Leisureplex, Banquet Hall (map)
3 to 5 p.m. (presentation at 3:30)
6 to 8 p.m. (presentation at 6:30)

Sept 23
Stevensville Memorial Hall (map)
6 to 8 p.m. (presentation at 6:30)

For more information, go to www.niagarahealth.on.ca
Also, look for more information in local newspapers.

Key Facts

• Port Colborne Site’s Emergency Room Department converted to an Urgent Care Centre July 6/09.
• Douglas Memorial Site’s Emergency Room Department will convert to an Urgent Care Centre September 28/09).
• Both Centres will be open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
• Main differences are ambulances will no longer bring emergency cases to these sites and patients will no longer be admitted directly to these sites. Discussions are underway with Niagara Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to have non-emergent ambulance calls continue to go to the 24/7 Urgent Care Centres.
• As has been the case for the past few years, patients will be transferred to a larger Niagara Health site for consultations with specialists and when they need sophisticated diagnostic tests.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Q: For residents of Port Colborne and Fort Erie, what are the care options when there is no longer an ER?
A: Think about what it is you need – do you have a minor ailment? Would you go to a doctor’s office if you could? If you can’t, then go to the Urgent Care Centre. Do you think you need admission to hospital? Do you need a specialist? Then go to an Emergency Department. Are you having difficulty breathing, chest pain, symptoms of stroke? Call 911.

Q: What is going to happen to the ‘H’ sign at Port Colborne and Douglas Memorial sites?
A: The ‘H’ will stay on the building, signaling that hospital-based services are available.

Q: How will Welland and Niagara Falls handle all the extra patients in those ERs when they have such long waits now?
A: The ER Departments at these two sites were built in the last few years to handle higher volumes than are currently seen, so there is enough space. And, we’re working on having two physicians on duty during peak hours at both locations. We’ve just introduced 22 Medical Directives – these reduce patient wait times as now nurses can start some tests before the patient is seen by the ER doctor. As well, new Clinical Systems Investigation Units will fast track non-urgent patients through the ER.

Know Your Options

The Ontario government has launched a new website to let communities know about the primary healthcare services available to them. Learn more about your options – go to www.ontario.ca/healthcareoptions and click on the grey Find Your Health Care Options box or call 1-866-330-6206.

EMERGENCY

Call 911
for a life-threatening emergency

You should use 911 only in an emergency. Dialing 911 provides you with emergency response and transport to emergency services and should be reserved for those who really need assistance. Sometimes it is difficult to know whether your problem is serious or not. Call 911 or go to an Emergency Department for:

• pains or tightness in the chest
• severe pain
• shortness of breath
• choking or having difficulty breathing
• fractured or broken bone
• sudden, severe headaches, vision problems, sudden weakness, numbness and/or tingling in the face, arm or leg, trouble speaking, or dizziness (stroke symptoms)
• child has diarrhea and vomiting and won’t eat or drink
• baby under six months has a fever over 38.5°C (101°F)

If you have any doubts about whether you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. The ambulance will take you to the appropriate ER. To learn more about Niagara EMS services, go to www.niagararegion.ca and click on living/ emergency services.

Go to
A Hospital Emergency Room

ERs accept ambulances and are staffed by physicians and nurses trained in emergency medicine treating patients with severe illnesses or injuries. ERs experience high volumes of patients, especially during the winter and holiday season. Patients are seen in order of urgency, not by arrival time, so please be patient. The ER is designed to handle the above emergency medical situations.

Niagara Health Emergency Rooms

Fort Erie: Douglas Memorial Site, 230 Bertie Street, Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (Converts to 24-hour Urgent Care Centre September 28/09)

Niagara Falls: Greater Niagara General Site, 5546 Portage Road, Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

St. Catharines: St. Catharines General Site, 142 Queenston St., Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Welland: Welland Site, 65 Third Street, Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Welland: Welland Site, 65 Third Street, Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

URGENT

Go to
An Urgent Care Centre

Urgent (Prompt) Care Centres are similar to Emergency Rooms in that they are staffed by physicians and nurses trained in emergency medicine. These professionals treat illnesses or injuries that cannot wait for a scheduled appointment with a primary care physician. Urgent Care Centres are equipped to do diagnostic tests such as X-rays and ultrasounds as well as blood tests.

They treat adults and children who have non lifethreatening illnesses or injuries such as:

• cuts or wounds that may require stitches
• sprains, strains or deep bruises
• mild to moderate asthma attacks
• ear infections
• urinary tract infections
• coughs, congestion, sore throats
• diarrhea
• insect bites and rashes, abrasions, fever, simple fractures

Niagara Health Urgent Care Centres

St. Catharines: Prompt Care Centre (name changing to Urgent Care Sept. 28/09), Ontario Street Site, 155 Ontario St., Open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Port Colborne: Urgent Care Centre, Port Colborne Site, 260 Sugarloaf St., Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day

Fort Erie: OPENING SEPTEMBER 28/09 – Urgent Care Centre, Douglas Memorial Site, 230 Bertie St., Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (currently ER Department is located at this site)

SICK

Go to
Your family physician

Ask your doctor’s office what back-up coverage they offer or recommend when they are closed (i.e. after-hours clinics or on-call service).

Call
Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 or go to www.health.gov.on.ca

Telehealth Ontario provides free access to a registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for general health questions. You will receive confidential advice on what to do or where to go about any health-related concerns.

Go to
A Walk-in Clinic

A walk-in clinic is available to anyone requiring non life-threatening medical care. It is a primary care clinic, but not an urgent care facility or Emergency Department, providing same-day care by a physician without an appointment. Walk-in clinics provide care for non life-threatening illness such as:

• fever
• sore throat
• cough
• earaches
• muscle/joint pain
• skin lesions

Niagara Health Location

Niagara-on-the-Lake: Walk-in Clinic, Niagara-on-the- Lake Site, 176 Wellington St., Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to Noon and 2 to 4:30 p.m., Thursdays 12:30 to 8 p.m.

“We’ve been working on many details with this new model for urgent care and are now able to confirm that Monday, July 6, will be the official changeover day at Port Colborne Site,” says Debbie Sevenpifer, NHS President and CEO. “The important message for the public is that things will be very much ‘business as usual’ at the hospital.”

As they now do, residents should call 911 with the following conditions – chest pain or shortness of breath; stroke symptoms such as sudden dizziness and headaches, blurred vision, tingling in arms/legs, sudden weakness, trouble speaking; major injuries or mental health issues. For everything else, Port Colborne residents should come to the Urgent Care Centre, located in the ER area on the lower level at Port Colborne Site.

“Although the name of the department is changing, the same doctors and nurses with the same equipment will be there to provide care to anyone who comes in the door,” says Vice President of Emergency Services Anne Atkinson. “We are all committed to providing urgent and non-urgent care day and night, and we encourage the public to use the Urgent Care service – we can handle any case that comes through the door.”

“We’ve been working with Niagara Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on coverage for Port Colborne and surrounding area, and they have reviewed the potential need for ambulance services after the transition July 6,” Atkinson says. “They are increasing the number of ambulances and primary and advanced care paramedics on the road to respond to any additional calls over the next few months. During this time, Niagara EMS will assess the actual need in the community for the future.”

As part of educating the public about the Urgent Care transition and options available, the NHS is holding an Urgent Care Info Session Thursday, June 25, at the Guild Hall, Charlotte Street, Port Colborne from 3 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Presentations are at 3:30 and 6:30. Free parking in the market square. Along with clinical leaders will be Niagara EMS representatives, on hand to answer any questions.

A billboard sign announcing the Urgent Care Centre is being installed on the front lawn at Port Colborne Site this week. Next week, an info brochure will be inserted in local newspapers to provide a handy reference for residents of Port Colborne and Wainfleet on when to call 911, when to go to the Urgent Care Centre and when to go to their doctor. For more information on the difference between ER and Urgent Care, go to www.niagarahealth.on.ca

• maintaining the ‘H” on the building;
• 24/7 Urgent Care Centre (UCC);
• significant renovations to support the new Urgent Care Centre
• 46 complex continuing care beds;
• diagnostic (X-ray, ultrasound, mammography, electrocardiogram), laboratory, pharmacy;
• maintaining the defined outpatient medical, surgical and mental health clinics; and
• an agreement to work together to determine other clinics or services that could be provided at the Port Colborne Site which would benefit the community.
• In addition, discussions are underway with Niagara Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to have non-emergent ambulance calls continue to go to the 24/7 UCC.

The NHS’s implementation plan for the Port Colborne Site also includes a two-year commitment to maintain the agreed upon services at the site as outlined, in order to complete an appropriate evaluation using mutually agreed upon parameters by all parties concerned.

“Although our work is not done, I am very encouraged,” said Mayor Vance Badawey. “The HIP did not identify a number of these areas but through the diligent work of our community and conversations I have had with our local physicians, the Ministry, the LHIN and the NHS, there has been considerable progress in defining more specifically the service levels that most of our  local physicians and  the residents of Port Colborne and Wainfleet can support at the Port Colborne site. Throughout the past year, our community has clearly communicated our wishes for Port Colborne including maintaining the “H” on the Port Colborne Site, and we are very pleased that our residents have been heard,” stated Badawey. “We will continue to work with our local physicians and the NHS to ensure service levels at the Port Colborne Site are maintained and where possible enhanced.”

Wainfleet Mayor Barb Henderson echoed Mayor Badawey’s comments: “It’s essential that we move forward together. On behalf of my citizens, I am pleased with the discussions that have led to this outcome.”

“We were very concerned that some residents of Port Colborne believed that their hospital was closing, and it was important for us to reassure the community that our Port Colborne Site will continue to provide an important role in healthcare delivery to Port Colborne, Wainfleet and surrounding communities,” said NHS President and CEO Debbie Sevenpifer. “We believe that the plan that we have put forward includes some very creative solutions that address many of the concerns that we heard.”

“I am very encouraged to see that after a lot of hard work between the City of Port Colborne and the NHS, there is a plan on the table that can work providing a high level of care to the people of Port Colborne and Wainfleet,” said Fort Erie MPP Kim Craitor. “Together, we are moving in the right direction to provide the right medical care for the people of southern lakeshore communities and their visitors,” adds MPP Craitor.

An exciting element of the plan is the proposed renovations to the site. The preferred future location of the UCC, on the main floor of the site, will undergo extensive renovations which will enhance the quality of patient care delivery. There are many benefits to the renovations including:

1. increasing the size of the UCC to more than twice the size of the existing Emergency Department;
2. improved privacy for patients;
3. improved patient flow and sight lines;
4. dedicated ventilation system for improved infection control;
5. wheelchair accessible with accessible washrooms;
6. modern trauma and resuscitation room; and
7. dedicated suture room with high intensity lighting.

“Once the renovation plans are finalized, they will need to be submitted to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for final approval,” stated Badawey.

“Our citizens have been waiting for this renovation for a long time,” stated Regional Councillor Bob Saracino. “This upgrade of the Port Colborne Site is an essential investment that will serve the people of Port Colborne and Wainfleet well. This will serve the needs of our citizens. Our ultimate goal is to ensure our local healthcare needs are looked after.”

“An outstanding matter to be brought to conclusion to support the plan developed between the NHS, the physicians and the City of Port Colborne is the physician funding model for the UCC, which is provided outside of the NHS budget. Negotiations are currently underway between the Ontario Medical Association, the physicians and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. As well, beds with monitoring capability are still a matter of discussion between the local physicians who monitor the beds and the NHS,” concluded Badawey. “This continues to be a work in progress.”

For more information, contact:

Caroline Bourque Wiley
Consultant, Public Affairs
Niagara Health System
905-378-4647, ext. 43113
cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca