The newly elected Sydenham District Hospital board is moving forward in a positive way.
Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley, who is the chair of the board, said they fully recognize the history of SDH in the Wallaceburg community and know things will not change overnight.
“The Board gave approval to the Chair to contact our local MPP Monte McNaughton to set up a meeting with the Minister of Health and key staff to advocate for SDH and to discuss a long term resolution for SDH,” Wesley said.
The board is set to have three SDH corporation member meeting next year, tentatively set in January, May and September. All member meetings will include new business and a question and answer session – both of which will aim to facilitate two way communication.
The board also received a list of what exisitng services are available at the Wallaceburg hospital.
We requested this information “in order to understand what current services are provided and to establish a baseline of existing services as a reference for moving forward,” Wesley said.
Here is the list of services provided by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance:
PATIENT SERVICES
Emergency Department (ED)
Sydenham Campus has a 24/7 ED to provide care for patients in all triage categories. RN and RPN staff and a physician on site 24/7 provide care for nine ED stretchers. Point of Care labs are drawn and run by the ED staff with Lab support.
In-patient Medicine Unit
There is a 5 bed, In-patient Medicine Unit staffed 24/7 by an RN and RPN, there is also a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) on staff seven days per week from 0700-1500.
Nurse Practitioner (NP) Clinic
A NP provides primary care by appointment for the remaining 150 registered patients two days/week.
Pharmacy
There is a Pharmacy Technician at Sydenham on Tuesday and Friday mornings. They are there to restock the ED cabinet, check expiry dates and stock any narcotics as well as “as needed” medications for the five Medicine Beds. In the event the cabinet has issues someone goes to Sydenham as needed. Every day 24 hours worth of Medications are couriered from Chatham to Sydenham for the five In-patient Medicine beds. Pharmacists are available remotely as needed.
Social Work/Discharge Planning Services
Monday – Friday Social Workers have daily telephone rounds in the morning. Social Workers and Community Care Access Centre staff visit Sydenham to attend family meetings as required (approximately 1-2/month). Social Workers also communicate with family daily as required.
Laboratory
Laboratory services are provided on site with a Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) from 0700 – 1500 seven days per week. From 1500 – 0700 an MLT is on call and expected to arrive within 30 minutes of receiving the page. Outpatient lab services are offered, when appropriate, from 0800 – 1400 Monday to Friday, otherwise patients are referred to community laboratories.
Point of Care testing is done for Emergency Patients as needed, 24/7. For any testing required that is not done on site, the blood is drawn and sent to Chatham, London, Windsor or Bluewater Health, depending on the type of test.
Transfusion Services are still offered at Sydenham and are treated as STAT when required. Otherwise the testing is done in Chatham, with a turn around time, for routine tests, of about four hours. Usually such testing is pre-planned and we minimize the wait for the patient by having it completed within 48 hours prior to the expected transfusion time. When blood products are required under STAT circumstances, the MLT present or on-call has the ability to do the test on site immediately and to provide cross matched products within 30 minutes.
Ambulatory Care
Ambulatory Care is currently open 0800-1600 on Tuesdays, and 0800 – 1200 on Thursdays. Services are related to surgery such as minor excisions etc. and medical day care. Included in medical day care are patients with multiple unit blood transfusions who reside in the Wallaceburg community.
Dietician
There is a dietician on site two days/week with one hour scheduled inpatient time between 0900 and 1700 or later as needed. Coverage when the dietician is off site is available by phone, pager or email, Monday to Friday.
Diabetes Educator
There are services on site three days/week (RN, two days and dietitian two days) between 0900 and 1700. They are available by referral, phone or email. Follow-up time is dependent on outpatient caseload. Coverage is available when diabetes team is off site by phone or email, Monday to Friday, 0800 – 1600.
Respiratory Services
The Pulmonary Function lab is open Wednesday/Thursday/Friday one week alternating with Thursday/Friday the next week. Hours are 0730 – 1530. Services provided include pulmonary function testing, ECG’s, as well as the application and removal of Holter Monitors. They also respond to Code Blue calls and provide puffer teaching or assessments. The Registered Respiratory Technologist may also be called to draw Arterial Blood Gasses and do transports for critically ill (vented) patients.
Diagnostic Imaging
At the Sydenham Campus x-ray is available seven days/week from 0800 – 2100. Ultrasound services are available Monday – Friday, 0800 – 1600.
Rehabilitation/Physiotherapy
Inpatient and outpatient Physiotherapy is available 3 days per week. Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology consultation is available by phone or face to face if required. Hours of service are generally 0800 – 1600 Monday to Friday.
Registration
Patient Registration is covered on two shifts that run 0700 – 1500 and 1500 – 2400, seven days per week.
SUPPORT SERVICES
Security
There is a Security Guard at Sydenham 2300 – 0700 seven days/week.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping staff are on-site from 0700 – 2300, 7 days/week. Included are two full time and four part time staff. There is a part time shift that runs daily from 1200 – 1600; this staff member works in the medicine unit, with other duties assigned.
Engineering
Engineering staff are on-site 0800 – 1600, Monday – Friday, after hours on call for engineering is available 24/7.
Materials Management
There is one staff member on site from 0900 – 1400, Monday – Friday. Materials Management staff look after ordering, receiving, delivery of all goods including linen, supplies and food.
Volunteers:
There are volunteers in the Gift Shop, Monday – Friday 1000 – 1530, at the Information Desk 0800 – 1200 Monday – Thursday and in the Dieticians Office 0900 – 1200 one day/week. Volunteer Specialist office is open 1⁄2-1 day per week.
