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Office 365 Login- COVID-19 Staff FAQ
Be safe, tread lightly, and avoid risk
Never delay in calling 911 or safely traveling to our Emergency Department when you have an urgent need for care.
In our second summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff and physicians continue to take additional precautions inside WPSHC. All of these actions are necessary to maintain safety for patients, essential visitors, staff, and physicians. These actions include: screening upon entry and prior to triage, the strict limitation of visitors accompanying patients, all patients (and visitors who qualify as ‘essential’) must wear a mask at all times. Heightened routine precautions remain in place, including the frequent use of additional personal protective equipment: masks and eye protection, gowns and gloves.
It takes longer to safely provide care while taking all of these additional precautions.
Our patients may experience longer wait times and people coming to our Emergency Department are advised that we do not have vending machines available. Visitors should consider bringing water with them. Patients should always check with nursing staff before consuming anything.
We are strongly encouraging everyone to schedule their COVID-19 vaccination appointments, and: Make Safety a Summer Priority, Plan and Prepare to Avoid an Unnecessary Trip to our ER, Tread Lightly on All Public Services, and Always Avoid Unnecessary Risk.
Please remember: never delay in calling 911 or safely traveling to our Emergency Department when you have an urgent need for care.
Find our summer reminders here.
 stay safe, avoid unnecessary trip to ER |
Provincial Order protects system capacity
On April 20 the Ministry of Health announced the provincial expectation (known as Directive #2) that all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures be stopped.
Urgent and emergency surgeries and procedures will continue.
What does this mean for WPSHC patients?
• Anyone in the community who has an appointment scheduled for any procedure, program, or service may be contacted by someone from the health centre or a clinical office in advance of their scheduled appointment. If contact has not been made, patients should call their existing contact for more information about their scheduled procedure, program, or service.
Exceptions to this include currently scheduled services in Ambulatory Care, Out-patient Rehabilitation, and Medical Imaging.
Please see the information included here.
• Urgent appointments in Ambulatory Care will continue as scheduled. These include, but are not limited to: chemotherapy, specialist clinics, and nursing care. All Ambulatory Care referrals must be from a local primary care provider.
• Our Out-patient Rehabilitation Department and Medical Imaging (x-ray, ultrasound, mammography, CT) will continue to provide services in accordance with already established COVID-19 protocols and there are no changes to patient programming at this time. Should organizational demands or provincial directions no longer support this practice, we will contact patients directly to provide revised information.
Referral from a primary health care provider is required for out-patient services and procedures in these departments.
• All out-patient services and procedures will be triaged with priority for urgent and emergency referrals.
• At WPSHC, important care decisions will continue to be based on individual care plans in consultation with medical and clinical care teams.
| Ramping down services |
Visitor information during provincial Stay-at-Home Order
To provide safety for patients, essential visitors, staff and physicians during Ontario’s province-wide Stay-at-Home Order, West Parry Sound Health Centre wants our community to know about the special precautions that are in place during the lockdown.
As directed by the Province, the order began on Thursday 8 April. The order is in addition to the four-week shutdown that began on Saturday 3 April. Based on regional COVID-19 conditions, the shutdown may continue for a longer period of time and the safety controls at West Parry Sound Health Centre may be changed and/or extended.
Information about visiting at WPSHC
• Visitors are not allowed in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit. Exceptions are considered for exceptional and compassionate circumstances and whenever an infant/child or vulnerable patient requires supportive accompaniment.
• On in-patient care units, one pre-approved designated Essential Visitor will be permitted. Exceptions are palliative and obstetrical patients. All exceptions to the Essential Visitor Policy must be approved by a Clinical Unit Manager.
• A Pandemic Support Worker will speak with capable patients to identify their designated visitor and document identification on a visitor registration form. It is important for patients and families/friends to know that the Pandemic Support Worker will reach out to them to arrange visits. If you have any questions, please contact a Pandemic Support Worker at: 705-938-4719.
• Essential Visitors must successfully pass through active screening inside the health centre’s main entrance. The screeners will be provided with a daily Essential Visitor list.
• All Essential Visitors who successfully pass active screening will be provided with a mask, face shield visor, and an identifying lanyard. These items must be worn at all times during the visit.
• All Essential Visitors will be provided with an educational handout that includes contact information for the Pandemic Support Worker.
Please click on the link below to find additional information about visiting a patient at West Parry Sound Health Centre. Contact information is included if you would like to plan a virtual visit.
Please check with Long Term Care Homes before visiting a resident
We also want our community to know that visiting precautions are now in place at Belvedere Heights and Lakeland Long Term Care. Please be sure to check with the Homes before visiting a resident.
We are very thankful to have the support and cooperation of our patients, their families, and friends. We are doing everything we can to provide safe, sustainable care for the communities we are privileged to serve.
Please remember that our Emergency Department is always a safe place to seek treatment whenever you have an urgent or emergency need for health care services.
| about visiting a patient |
Board appoints new Chief of Medical Staff
The board of West Parry Sound Health Centre has unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Wil Smith to serve as the health centre’s new Chief of Medical Staff. The board voted on a recommendation received from the Chief of Medical Staff Search Committee during its meeting on November 9.
Read more by clicking on the attachment below.
| WPSHC Chief of Medical Staff |
COVID-19 and Summer in the ER
We all want to believe that it’s just-another-summer: hot days and bright blue skies, sunny beaches, warmer water for swimming, and the deck should be filled with family and friends.
West Parry Sound Health Centre wants to remind everyone in our community that this is NOT just-another-summer.
We remain in the midst of a pandemic outbreak.
Nowhere in our local health care system is this more obvious than in our Emergency Department.
Everyone in West Parry Sound can maintain confidence that the Emergency Department at your local hospital continues to be a safe and reliable place to receive emergency and urgent care.
Do not let fear of COVID-19 delay your call to 911. Do not let a sense of caution postpone a prompt and safe trip to ER.
We have thoughtfully planned and we are prepared to safely provide urgent and emergency care under the unprecedented circumstance made necessary by the pandemic.
Read the attached document to learn more about The Summer of COVID-19 in our ER: additional precautions and patient screening, only essential visitors allowed, mask wearing requirements, expectation of longer wait times, and there will not be a non-urgent care clinic.
Please avoid risk and also avoid an unnecessary trip to the ER by having a plan that supports your ongoing care needs.
| What to expect in ER |