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Emergency Enhancements
Dr. Aaron Smith, Chief of Emergency Medicine, recently spoke to a group of supporters about some of the changes going on in our Emergency Department. He mentioned a number of initiatives that are having an impact on how we provide emergency care.
Processes: A team of GGH staffers are participating in what’s affectionately known as GGH-PIP – a Process Improvement Program. It’s looking at what we can do to improve patient flow throughout the Hospital - from when someone arrives in the Emergency Department, to admission to a bed, through discharge from the Hospital. We’re learning from organizations near and far. Our team has identified 83 ideas for improvements, including 11 high-impact ideas.
Space: Our Emergency Mental Health Unit (EMHU) is now open and it’s certainly making a difference to the care we are able to provide to those who need emergency mental health care. The rest of the Emergency department is still under construction. When it’s done, we’ll have five new spaces where we can see patients (including four in the EMHU).
People: We have two nurse practitioners in the ED, seeing patients seven days a week, 12 hours a day. These specially trained nurses can diagnose, treat and discharge patients with minor illnesses, complementing the role of the emergency physician.. And, we also have one of the only physician assistants working in an ED in the province. “He’s our right-hand man,” commented Aaron.
We also have a specially trained nurse to deal specifically with the elderly patients who come to Emergency. In addition, there’s a case manager from Community Care Access Centre who can quickly put home and community supports in place that help patients be discharged sooner.
Equipment: Currently, if a patient needs an ultrasound, we need to get them to Diagnostic Imaging. Examples of patients who need an ultrasound would be a woman with pregnancy problems, someone with a suspected aneurysm, or a trauma victim. Soon, we will have an ultrasound machine for the Emergency Department that all our physicians will be trained on. This will help them diagnose issues sooner which means treatment can begin sooner.
It will have a positive impact on patient care, said Aaron. “Not only does equipment wear out and need replacing, but we also need to keep on top of new equipment and practices to be able to provide the best care to our patients and to help us recruit the best and the brightest.” He cited the ultrasound and MRI scanner as examples of new equipment that has made (or will make) an important difference.
Enhancements in people, space, equipment and processes – all with the goal of providing the best care possible.
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