Ross Memorial Hospital - Kawartha Lakes
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Emergency Department

Hospital Entrances Photo

The emergency entrance is located on the north inner corner of the building right beside the main entrance.

Click here to see maps and floorplans.

At Ross Memorial Hospital's Emergency Department (ED), we have 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.

If your 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 before we can attend to your needs.

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.

Other important information you need to know:

The Emergency team's common goal is "to be a cohesive, harmonious and enjoyable team that delivers efficient and excellent patient care and accomplishes all departmental goals through individual and team accountability, with the reputation of being the department of choice".

The Emergency Department sees approximately 45,000 patients per year in a newly constructed space that is open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. It has large trauma/resuscitation rooms and multiple treatment/exam rooms including specialty rooms for negative pressure (2), 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. The Access Centre 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.

As the hospital continued with implementation of its clinical services plan, pediatric care was transferred to the ED, where a Pediatric Decision Unit was created. The Pediatric Decision Unit is a “virtual unit” utilized by ED physicians who feel a child will benefit from an observation and treatment period of 24 hours, after which the child is either discharged or transferred to another hospital for more specialized pediatric care. This new model of pediatric care, combined with pediatric clinics that have been scheduled at RMH thanks to a partnership with pediatricians in Peterborough, is helping to improve access to pediatric care.