Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has launched an online Emergency Department Wait Time Clock on its website, providing estimated wait times for patients seeking care at both the Chatham and Wallaceburg sites.
The initiative is designed to give patients and families a clear expectation of current wait conditions before and during their visit. With the launch, CKHA joins several other Ontario hospitals in adopting digital wait time reporting to enhance the patient experience.
“Empowering our community with clear, accessible information is key to building trust,” said Natalie Clark, chief nursing executive at CKHA. “Launching this tool reflects our ongoing commitment to transparency and helping patients and families feel better informed when seeking emergency care. We also want to remind our community that patients are triaged based on the need to see the sickest patients first, so in an emergency, you should always ensure that you call 9-1-1 or proceed to the nearest Emergency Department right away, regardless of overall estimated wait times.”
The system pulls real-time data from the hospital’s internal system into a dynamic digital display, offering a calculated estimate based on the current volume and acuity of patients in the department. To ensure accuracy while protecting system performance, the report updates every 30 to 60 minutes.
Because the display refreshes periodically, CKHA noted that community members may notice variances between the numbers listed online and the physical headcount in the waiting room, and said the displays serve as a general guide rather than an exact, guaranteed measurement.
Both emergency departments prioritize patients using standardized triage protocols, meaning individuals arriving with life-threatening or high-severity conditions will always be seen immediately, regardless of the estimated wait time displayed. Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should always call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency department right away.
Check the times, here.
