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Wait Times

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Diagnostic Imaging

MRI /CT Locations & Wait Times in Champlain LHIN

Improving Emergency Department Wait Times

Emergency Department Improvements 2012 Symposium

Surgery

Champlain Emergency Services Network

Emergency Departments

Introduction

The Champlain LHIN is committed to improving wait times for our residents. As key partners in Ontario’s Wait Times Strategy, we coordinate efforts to improve wait times in Emergency Departments as well as key services like MRI and CT scans, cancer surgery, and cataract surgery.

For information on current wait times for different procedures across the province, visit Wait Times in Ontario.

Diagnostic Imaging (CT & MRI)

Our residents’ wait times for CT and MRI scans continue to improve significantly. Our region’s number of MRI machines has grown from five to eight since 2005, and our notably high efficiency means more scans can be completed at each facility. For more information on our initiatives that support access to diagnostic imaging, please visit our eHealth page.

MRI /CT Locations & Wait Times in Champlain LHIN

Google maps

If you are a health professional referring a client to an MRI or CT scan, this information can help you determine the locations with the shortest wait times.

MRI Locations & Wait Times in Champlain LHIN

CT Locations & Wait Times in Champlain LHIN

If you have any questions or comments regarding these maps please contact Amir Afkham at Amir.Afkham@LHINS.ON.CA

Targets for Improving Emergency Department Wait Times:

Our LHIN is focused on improving wait times at these hospitals. Our specific targets are:

For patients with conditions that…	Our target is to have patients…
are uncomplicated and do not require admission to hospital	treated and discharged from the Emergency Department within four hours
do not require admission but are more serious	treated and discharged within eight hours
require admission to an inpatient unit	out of the Emergency Department and in the appropriate unit within eight hours

Progress Towards Improving Emergency Department Wait Times:

Champlain hospital staff members are working hard to achieve these targets. They are implementing a variety of strategies including:

- increasing their staffing
- revising processes to increase efficiencies, and

- expanding physician hours.

For a visual overview of the initiatives we are working on to improve patient flow within our LHIN, please click here.

Read about Hawkesbury Hospital’s impressive Emergency Department improvements in our July 14, 2010 LHINfo Minute

The LHIN funds and coordinates these efforts, and also establishes programs to provide services to our residents in the community to prevent unnecessary trips to the Emergency Department.

In 2012, the Champlain LHIN coordinated and hosted the third annual regional symposium to support knowledge transfer of best practices for Emergency Department improvements. For more information on the symposium Emergency Department Improvements: Success Stories & Lessons Learned, including copies of the presentations, please click here.

Surgery

Our LHIN is working to reduce wait times for a variety of surgical procedures, including cancer surgery, cardiac by-pass, cataract surgery, and hip & knee replacement. We have achieved significant success in reducing wait times for these procedures. One of our strategies has been the establishment of a Regional Hip & Knee Replacement Program. The program started in January 2010, and seeks to accelerate access to assessment services for hip or knee replacement surgery in the Champlain LHIN. All referrals for potential hip or knee replacement patients are sent to the regional central intake centre.

The referring physician and patient may choose services from a specific hospital, a specific surgeon, or from the next available hospital/surgeon. Referrals are then directed to one of four assessment centres, depending on choice: Cornwall Community Hospital, Montfort Hospital, the Queensway Carleton Hospital, or The Ottawa Hospital.

Client testimony:

“My knee bothered me, so I went to a sports clinic and within two weeks I had an appointment with an assessment centre,” explains Heather Clouthier, who works at a public school in the Ottawa area.

“After discussing options, I was told I was a surgical candidate. It has been very fast and efficient. I feel very privileged to be treated so well.”

Read about impressive early successes in our LHINfo minute - June 9 2010 .

We have also worked to establish a regional trauma program, where hospitals work together to accelerate transfers between hospitals for patients with orthopedic injuries. This initiative was recently profiled by the provincial Bone & Joint Health Network in their article ”A Coordinated Approach to Managing Single Site Trauma”.

Kemptville District Hospital performing knee replacement surgeries in innovative partnership with The Ottawa Hospital

Thanks to an innovative partnership with The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) has recently begun performing knee replacement surgeries. One of only a handful of small hospitals in Ontario performing total joint replacements, KDH is helping to cut regional wait times for these surgeries, as well as freeing up TOH's operating rooms for urgent trauma cases.

Below are links to a video which focuses on this innovative and collaborative project:

2 minute preview

8 minute version

26 minute extended version