The Collingwood General and Marine Hospital’s (CGMH) emergency department is a busy place on any
given day. To help streamline the emergency visit process for those with coughs, cold symptoms and minor limb injuries, CGMH will be launching a pilot project beginning Thursday, November 23, that would allow these patients to book their emergency department
visit in advance.
The pilot project allows patients who need to be assessed and treated for minor ailments to book a same-day or next-day arrival time at the hospital’s emergency department. Five arrival times will be scheduled daily between 8:00 – 9:15 a.m., Monday to Friday,
as part of the initial pilot.
“The population in the South Georgian Bay region has grown significantly over the past three years, along with the volume of patients who are presenting at our emergency department. Because many of the individuals who have moved to the region do not have access
to a family physician, it’s important that we continue to pursue innovative ways to ensure access to high quality, timely care when patients need it,” says Mike Lacroix, CGMH President and CEO.
In order to book an arrival time, patients begin by answering questions online related to their symptoms and injury, and any potential exclusions, such as bleeding, loss of consciousness, head,
neck or back injuries. Should they meet the criteria, patients can then proceed with booking an arrival time. However, should arrival times be full, anyone who is experiencing a health emergency should continue to come to the hospital’s emergency department.
Recognizing the importance of healthcare access for those in Simcoe County, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s Emergency Department created and launched this booking system initiative in May of 2023. Data collected from CGMH’s pilot will be included in
RVH’s research study on the program’s efficacy.
As part of the pilot project, patients will be asked to complete an anonymous survey, emailed to them post-appointment, to gather patient feedback to make future enhancements and potentially expand
the number of assessment spots in the future.
“The goal of this pilot is to increase patient access, improve the patient experience and grow the pilot to include more arrival times for lower acuity items, while preventing overcrowding at the busiest times of day,” says Dr. Greg Devet, CGMH Chief of Emergency
Medicine.
Bookings can be scheduled on CGMH’s website under the emergency department tab, beginning Wednesday, November 22.