Hamilton hospitals open new satellite health facility to increase local healthcare capacity
Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) are opening a new, temporary health facility in downtown Hamilton to increase local healthcare capacity in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Satellite Health Facility in Effort Square
The HHS & SJHH Satellite Health Facility (SHF) is located at 150 King St. E. in Effort Square. The space has been set up to care for patients who do not require hospital care, and are awaiting transfer to a community-based location. The facility will be staffed by interprofessional clinical teams as well as primary care physicians.
The tentative patient move-in date is the week of Oct. 26, 2020.
On Sept. 25, the Ontario government announced $741 million in funding to help address service backlogs across the province and support healthcare capacity-building initiatives, including the establishment of alternate health facilities.
Reserving in-hospital space for urgent needs
“The new Satellite Health Facility will allow us to support patients who are waiting for alternate care arrangements in the community, while reserving in-hospital space for those with the most urgent medical needs,” says Rob MacIsaac, president & CEO, HHS. “Protecting acute care capacity in our hospitals is more important than ever as we contend with a global pandemic while at the same time entering the 2020-2021 infectious season.”
The SHF is one of several local, hospital-led initiatives aimed at ensuring there are beds for patients who require hospital care should there be a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“With the province experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, we are grateful to the Ministry of Health for its support as we continue to prepare for a potential surge in hospital cases locally,” says Melissa Farrell, president, SJHH. “As always, our goal is to provide quality care for patients in a safe setting. This initiative will help us ensure patients receive the right care in the right place, while supporting the needs of our community during the pandemic.”