Cornwall Hospital continues COVID-19 preparations

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging all programs to re-think how we offer services in order to protect our staff, clients, families and community. As a health care facility, we are committed to finding ways to continue to offer services while following best practice advice.

We continue to work closely with Public Health, the Ministry of Health and our health care partners ensuring that we have a robust plan to monitor, detect and care for any cases of COVID-19. The hospital is operationalizing its pandemic plans.

The decision to reduce some services including elective surgery, clinics and diagnostic tests has been made in order to ensure that our essential resources, including people, supplies and equipment are available to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to protect these resources and to ensure patient, staff and physician safety, the following measures have been taken:

Acute Care Hospital Site:
• Patients booked for the following elective/non urgent procedures can expect a call from the hospital or physician’s office informing them that their procedure will be rescheduled or postponed:

• Elective surgery
• Non-urgent Diagnostic tests, including, outpatient radiology, CT, MRI, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, pulmonary functions, EEG and stress testing
• Some ambulatory clinics

Inpatient visitor restrictions are in effect with active screening upon entry.

• The café, including Tim Horton’s, is restricted to physicians and staff only (and no longer available to the public)

• Inpatients and emergency patients are not permitted to leave the hospital to smoke. Smoking cessation therapy options are available.

Community Addiction and Mental Health Centre:

• Our Centre, located at 850 McConnell Ave, is not accepting walk-in visitors or unscheduled appointments. All services have been modified to ensure our clients are served during this stressful time.
• The Withdrawal Management Services will provide phone counselling and scheduled visits (call 613- 938 -8506 to schedule a visit).
• Our Mental Health Crisis Team will continue to support clients and other professionals by phone. Individuals needing crisis support are to call the Crisis Line at 1-866-996-0991. Youth under the age of 16 years are to call the Child, Youth and Family Crisis Line at 1-877-377-7775.
• Individual counselling and therapy will be offered to clients via phone and/or e-therapy.

“The health and safety of our patients, families and our staff and physicians is our top priority,” says Jeanette Despatie, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We have infection control policies and procedures in place and have started to activate our pandemic plan.”

We will continue to keep our community informed of future changes; please monitor our website at www.cornwallhospital.ca for updates.

If you have questions related to COVID-19 we encourage everyone to seek trusted information sources, specifically the links below including a self assessment tool if you are experiencing symptoms.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html

https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus

https://eohu.ca/en/my-health/2019-novel-coronavirus