Temporary 40-bed unit at Civic hospital opens
Unit will decrease wait times and help patients spend less time in the ER, says hospital
The temporary 40-bed unit attached to the emergency department of The Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus is now up and running.
The Ottawa Hospital said last fall that the unit, called the offload medicine transition unit, was expected to help alleviate the strain on the city's paramedics, who are routinely stuck for hours transferring patients to hospital staff and keeping them from answering other emergencies.
At times, there isn't a single available ambulance to respond to a 911 call, also known as "level zero."
On Wednesday, the hospital said the temporary unit is ready for patient care.
It will also help decrease wait times for patients and help them spend less time in the ER before being admitted, the hospital said.
The unit is in the east parking lot of the Civic, bordering Carling and Melrose avenues.
