WRH, ESHC To Pause Non-Urgent Services Beginning Thursday, March 19th
18-3-2020
In.accordance with a recent Ministry of Health directive to Ontario hospitals, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) and Erie Shores HealthCare (ESHC) are planning a staged "ramping down" of non-urgent, elective/scheduled care and procedures, as well as ambulatory clinics.
Most of these temporary closures and postponements, which include non-urgent, elective surgeries and diagnostic scans, will be effective 12:01 am, Thursday, March 19th. Patients will be contacted in advance if their scheduled appointments are affected.
The decisions follow the Ontario directive first identified here in a News Release entitled "Ontario Hospitals Asked to Take a Planned Approach to Ramping Down Elective Surgeries"
The goal of these measures, as stated by the Ministry of Health, is to "preserve capacity as cases of COVID-19 continue to grow in Ontario."
"We will continue to assess and make changes based on the evolution of the province’s pandemic response plans," said Dr. Wassim Saad, WRH Chief of Staff. "We are doing our best to work in tandem with our hospital partners to reduce the potential exposure of our employees and professional staff to the COVID-19 virus, while also conserving our hospital resources for the most urgent needs."
"As a result of the need to reduce non-urgent services in the hospital setting, hospital staff and physicians are making difficult decisions on what services can be delayed," said Dr. Ross Moncur, ESHC Chief of Staff. "These decisions are being made with safety as a first priority, both for our patients and for our staff members."
WRH is asking all clinics and physicians to explore virtual care as an alternative for their patients.
We know these measures will be difficult and challenging for our patients, their families and our clinical teams," said WRH President and CEO David Musyj. "We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we implement these difficult and complex changes."
"We must prepare ourselves with a proactive approach to COVID-19 by finding capacity in our healthcare system for patients," said ESHC CEO Janice Dawson. "We're working with our partners at Windsor Regional Hospital and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare to ensure that happens."