Quinte Health Care is making moves to support up to 30 additional COVID patients at a time when the third wave of the pandemic peaks and more patients are likely to be brought in from other areas.
She says they’re also moving some patients to other care settings when appropriate.
“We’re doing a lot of work around moving patients to other care settings like long term care, homes with additional supports. We’ve been able to get an increase at Quinte Gardens Retirement home and we have a great relationship with Providence Care in Kingston where we’ve been able to help to transition some patients.”
Daub says they’re taking extra precautions when transferring any patient to a new setting including making sure they are fully vaccinated before they are moved.
QHC Chief of Staff Dr. Colin MacPherson says they’ve been working diligently with their counterparts across the province to transform their operations and rethink how to extend the skills of their team members.
“I am really just staggered by the degree to which our team has responded to this call. We’ve been changing our operations, preparing for more patients and hoping actually that they’ll arrive because we know we can make a difference to people in need in this province.”
Daub anticipates they could receive a couple of patients a day from other areas over the next few weeks and also commends QHC’s employees who she says continue to adapt to fluid situations.
She really wants people to understand what hospital staff are going through at this time.
“Some people from out of region who do not speak English and you have clinicians who are in the moment trying to use Google translator and other types of methodologies to be able to communicate with their patients who are critically ill. I’ve heard staff talk about a patient who was very near end of life and trying to sort through how to get that loved one into the hospital safe. Safe for the patients, safe for the staff and able to go up and say goodbye to their loved one.”
Daub adds it’s unlikely Quinte Health Care will receive any of the out-of-province or military help that’s coming to Ontario.
