TOGETHER WE STAY STRONG - THE COVID-19 RESPONSE
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ST. CLAIR COLLEGE PROVIDES A CENTRAL LOCATION IN COVID-19 RESPONSE |
The St. Clair College Sportsplex has been a central location for treating, testing and vaccinating members of our community throughout the pandemic. With the support of our partners at St. Clair College who generously donated the space, the Sportsplex was transformed into a 100-bed Field Hospital in April 2020.
Initially, it was used to care for residents of Heron Terrace who tested positive for COVID-19 while relieving pressure on the long-term care home while staff there dealt with a devastating outbreak. It was later used as an assessment centre and now a vaccination clinic where the first local doses of the vaccine were administered.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR OFFERS VACCINATION SPACE |
 When space was needed for an additional vaccination site, the University of Windsor offered up the perfect location, without hesitation. In February, WRH Partnered with the University of Windsor to open a second vaccination centre at Windsor Hall, which is located in the former Windsor Star building at the corner of Pitt St. and Ferry St. in downtown Windsor.
The site has plenty of space for a pick-up and drop-off area and a 40-space vaccination space with a separate recovery area to ensure everyone is feeling okay before they head home.
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TOGETHER WE VACCINATE |
Vaccinations are the key to moving past COVID-19 and Windsor-Essex has some of the highest vaccination rates in the province thanks in part to a strong partnership The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, the City of Windsor and the County of Essex, Windsor Regional Hospital, and Erie Shores HealthCare who teamed up earlier this year to launch the WEVax Awareness Campaign.
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FINDING SPACE FOR THOSE IN NEED |
Bed capacity has been an ongoing challenge for hospitals across the province as we ride the waves of COVID-19. Earlier this year, when WRH was reaching its limit, hospital partners across the region stepped in to help alleviate the pressure by accepting patients from WRH.
In April, through the same process, WRH had the opportunity to help reduce the burden on patients, families, and hospital partners by accepting patients from other jurisdictions who needed our help.
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COVID-19 TESTING |
As demand for testing evolves throughout the pandemic, WRH continues to adapt, offering testing where and when it is needed. In September 2020, WRH opened a second COVID-19 Assessment Centre at the St. Clair Sportsplex which later moved to a trailer outside of the Met Campus ED.
In August, hundreds were tested at a drive-thru testing blitz held at the SportsPlex. WRH also worked with regional partners to offer mass testing for thousands of migrant workers and others in vulnerable settings.
In December, a new testing instrument called the GeneXpert allowed staff to start testing patients in the hospital and learn within an hour if they are carrying the COVID-19 virus.
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KEEPING FAMILIES CONNECTED |
With visitor restrictions in place, virtual assistants joined the team to help keep patients at WRH connected to their families and loved ones at a time when they were needed most.
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MANAGING THE VACCINATION SUPPLY |
 The challenging task of managing the highly sensitive vaccine is a whole lot easier thanks to the innovative team in Decision Support and a new tool they developed to eliminate the possibility of human error.
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24/7 CODE BLUE PHYSICIANS |
 With more sick patients in the hospital, additional help was brought in to make sure patients receive timely care. Additional provincial funding now allows a dedicated physician to be on-site, all day and all night, to insert central lines, chest tubes, or to help perform intubations, as needed.
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PROVIDING REAL-TIME ANSWERS TO COVID-19 QUESTIONS |
 In an effort to keep our region informed about COVID-19 and its impact, WRH launched Coping with COVID, a series of interactive webcasts giving viewers a forum to share their stories, ask questions, and get answers from experts, in real-time.
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SUPPORTING A CULTURE OF PATIENT SAFETY AND QUALITY CARE
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PATIENTS FIND A FRIEND IN THE MOVEMENT MATTERS PROGRAM |
With visitor restrictions in place, patients are often craving social interaction and hospital staff are stepping in to fill the gap. In the Movement Matters Program, regular walks with members of the ambulatory team are proving to be beneficial for patients’ physical AND emotional wellbeing.
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BANNER YEAR FOR ZERO HARM |
Despite the unique challenges we faced this year faced, patient safety remained a priority and as a result, WRH celebrated 16 Zero Harm weeks. This is the second time the organization has reached this mark.
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NEW TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES TUMOUR TREATMENT |
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, the Radiology team at Windsor Regional Hospital can now treat certain tumours using a newer technology called Microwave Ablation.
The new technology means the procedure is done quicker, as an outpatient procedure, and is less painful for the patient.
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FOCUS ON RESEARCH
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NEW OFFICE OF RESEARCH TAKING SHAPE |
When Dr. Wassim Saad became Chief of Staff, one of his goals was to improve the quality of care in the organization by elevating its academic and research vision.
This creation of the new Office of Research is an important building block in achieving this goal.
Office of Research Annual Review 2020-2021
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WE-SPARK GRANTS SUPPORT WRH RESEARCH PROJECTS |
Through a partnership with WE-SPARK Health Institute WRH is working toward a thriving and engaged research community.
This year, research teams at Windsor Regional Hospital received a total of $75,000 in WE-SPARK Igniting Discovery Grants to support several projects including the Collection and Evaluation of Potential Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 infections in Windsor Essex.
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CUTTING EDGE CLINICAL TRIAL EXPLORES POSSIBLE TREATMENT FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS |
WRH is studying the possibility of decreasing the mortality rates of COVID-19 patients by injecting them with antibodies found in convalescent plasma collected from recovered COVID-19 patients as part of a national study called the "Concor-1 Clinical Trial".
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PURSUIT OF A NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART HOSPITAL
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WRH ACQUIRES LAND FOR NEW REGIONAL ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL |
More than five years after the site for a new regional acute care hospital was chosen, WRH officially took ownership of the 60-acre property at the corner of County Rd. 42 and the 9th Concession.
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PROVINCE COMMITS $9.8 MILLION TO PLANNING |
In its 2021 Ontario Budget, the Ford government committed $9.8 million to cover "Stage 2" planning costs for the development of a new state-of-the-art acute care hospital to serve Windsor and Essex County.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN RELEASED |
The Stage 2 Community Engagement Plan released in December includes opportunities for everyone to get involved and add their input in the next stages of planning. It is consistent with the Steering Committee’s goal of being inclusive and transparent at every stage in the planning process.
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RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE - AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
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TOP-PERFORMING CANCER PROGRAM |
The Windsor Regional Cancer Centre was recognized By Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) with a 2020 Performance Award recognition for being among the top-performing and most improved cancer programs in the province
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RENAL RECOGNITION |
The Renal Program was recognized by the Ontario Renal Network for its work in kidney care and for being among the most improved renal programs in the province.
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SAVING LIVES THROUGH ORGAN DONATION |
WRH and nurse Karen Conte Hospital were recognized by the Trillium Gift of Life Network for their efforts to save lives through the promotion of organ and tissue donation.
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CREATING A HEALTHY WORKPLACE |
At a time when health and safety are paramount in the workplace, Windsor Regional Hospital was recognized with a Healthy Workplace Award from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
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WINDSOR REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
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The Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation raised over $5 million in support of WRH equipment and programs including the purchase of a 3D Digital Mammography machine.
A new 50-50 monthly mega lottery licensed by the province of Ontario is proving to be an effective fundraising effort.
Our thanks to the very generous communities in Windsor and Essex County - we are grateful.
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