Emergency Department

 

 

 

RMH’s Emergency entrance is located on the north inner corner of the building right beside the Main Entrance.

Click here to see maps and floorplans.

Ross Memorial Hospital's Emergency Department (ED) has highly skilled staff and special, state-of-the-art equipment to provide the best possible care for our patients.

On arrival to the ED, you will be assessed by the triage nurse. Depending on the urgency of your illness or injury, the triage nurse will either place you in a treatment room or in the waiting area. Patients are treated and seen by a doctor in order of need (i.e. seriousness of illness or injury) and not according to the time of arrival. In other words, how soon you are seen by a doctor in Emergency depends on how sick or badly injured you are.

Self-Arrival Kiosks

Our voluntary Self-Arrival Kiosks, which are open 24/7, allow arriving patients to get into our system quicker and improve the patient experience. Patients can use the Self-Arrival Kiosks to enter their health card, confirm their personal information, and provide their reason for visiting. Knowing our patients’ conditions quicker allows team members to meet their care needs more effectively. If you do not wish to use to use the Self-Arrival Kiosks, please proceed directly to the registration clerk.

Text Updates

During check-in, whether at the Self-Arrival Kiosk or at registration, you’ll have the option to sign up for text message updates on your mobile phone. The text messages provide useful information about tests/orders that have been submitted as part of your care, estimated wait times for scheduled tests to take place, discharge information, and opportunities to provide feedback about your care experience.

Ultimately, our arrival process helps by: 

• Streamlining and speeding up arrivals. 

• Reducing uncertainty while you wait. 

• Keeping you informed about next steps.

Your privacy is important to us. Patients need to opt-in to receive text message updates upon every new ED visit and consent can be withdrawn at any time.

If your ED wait is longer than expected, we ask you to please understand that we are busy attending to patients who need immediate care. At times, we may have to wait for a special room or equipment to become available.

Please inform the nurse immediately if you have concerns or your condition changes while you are waiting.

Our doctors and nurses will assess your health care needs and treat you based on the assessment results. This means that you may be required to have additional tests, be seen by a specialist, be admitted to Hospital, or be discharged.

When you are discharged, you will be given important information about your care at home. Be sure you understand it. If you are not sure, ask the doctor and/or nurse to explain it to you again.

What to Bring, What to Know

Other important information you need to know:

• Bring your health card with you for registration.
• Bring a list of medications that you take on a regular basis and any other important medical information (i.e. allergies).
• In general, only one visitor should accompany each patient in the treatment area due to limited space.
• Please choose one family member or friend to phone the Emergency staff when requesting information over the telephone.

About our Emergency Department

Our Emergency Department sees approximately 35,000 patients per year and is open 24/7 throughout the year. It has large trauma/resuscitation rooms and multiple treatment/exam rooms including specialty rooms for negative pressure (two), casting, eye exams, and secure holding. There are 12 observation/holding bays and a separate minor acute area.

Fully digital diagnostic imaging assists in emergency care. Ontario Health atHome provides a case manager to divert some care back to the community. The Geriatric Emergency Management nurse identifies high risk seniors in the ED. By providing accurate assessment of these patients and utilizing both hospital and community resources, the GEM nurse facilitates a safer discharge home.

RMH is a Fit2Sit program hospital. The program allows paramedics, in consultation with the ED triage nurse, to transfer low-acuity patients directly to the ED waiting room. Not only does the initiative allow paramedics to return to the community quicker, it helps reassure patients are receiving care based on their acuity level.

 

A list of Walk-In and Virtual Care Clinics available to our community members can be found here. These services are provided by organizations separate of Ross Memorial Hospital and may not include all available options.

 

 

Page last updated: August 18, 2026