Stroke patients at GBGH now have access to important new treatment protocol

On February 15, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) conducted a mock exercise to test the process for a new stroke protocol which ensures patients have access to important and timely treatment within four to 24 hours of stroke onset. The process includes assessment at GBGH via CT scan and transfer to a GTA stroke centre for endovascular therapy to remove the blood clot causing the stroke. Access to this treatment provides the gold standard of stroke care to patients in our community.

February 22, 2022 – Effective February 22, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) will offer patients a new extended treatment protocol to ensure timely care for patients suffering from an acute stroke. Through the new protocol, GBGH will assess patients for a possible stroke at the hospital and coordinate their transfer to a facility where they can receive this important treatment, previously not available at GBGH, to reduce the effects of a stroke.

This new process will be available for patients who arrive at the hospital’s Emergency department with signs of a stroke occurring in the previous four to 24 hours. These patients will be assessed via CT scan and if a stroke is confirmed, arrangements will be made to quickly transfer the patient to a stroke centre in the Greater Toronto Area. At the stroke centre, they will be considered as a candidate for Endovascualar Therapy (EVT), using a catheter to remove the blood clot causing the stroke. Admitted patients who suffer a stroke while at GBGH will also be eligible for transfer based on timing.

“The common theory when it comes to stroke response is ‘time is brain’, referring to the importance of quick action in recognizing the signs of stroke and seeking treatment,” says Angie Saini, vice president of Clinical Services and chief nursing executive, GBGH. “At GBGH, we are now able to facilitate the transfer of patients to a stroke centre where they can receive EVT to remove the blood clot causing the stroke. Having access to this additional treatment option is so important for people in our community who suffer from stroke.”

Beyond 24 hours after a stroke occurs, treatment options are vastly reduced for stroke patients, making time so critical in reducing the long-term effects of stroke. For every minute delay in treating a stroke, the average patient loses 1.9 million brain cells.

Prior to four hours (0 – 4 hours) from stroke onset, patients can be treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a drug used to break down a blood clot and restore blood flow to the brain. This treatment is highly effective, but must be delivered within several hours of the stroke occurring. It is only available in larger regional hospitals, not in community hospitals like GBGH. For patients suspected of having a stroke and being eligible for tPA treatment, they are taken directly to a tPA hospital by paramedics. In the Simcoe Muskoka region, patients are taken to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie for tPA.

Recognizing the signs of stroke early can reduce the time between stroke onset, contacting 9-1-1 and arrival at a hospital emergency department to be assessed and receive appropriate treatment. The Heart & Stroke Foundation encourages people to look for the signs of stroke and act FAST to ensure life-saving treatment can begin as soon as possible.

• FACE – is it drooping?
• ARMS – can you raise both?
• SPEECH – is it slurred or jumbled?
• TIME – to call 9-1-1 right away

According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, there are an estimated 62,000 strokes – or one every nine minutes – in Canada each year. Stroke is a leading cause of death in Canada and a major cause of adult disability (https://www.heartandstroke.ca/what-we-do/our-impact/saving-lives#:~:text=Each%20year%20in%20Canada%2C%2062%2C000,for%20stroke%20and%20cardiac%20arrest).

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Georgian Bay General Hospital

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH resumes elective and non-urgent procedures and surgeries

February 11, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is resuming elective and non-urgent procedures and surgeries, as directed by the Ontario government. As per provincial guidance, GBGH had ramped down non-urgent surgeries and procedures on January 7, ensuring critical care capacity and human resources were available to care for COVID-19 and other acute patients.

Upon receiving news the hospital could resume elective and non-urgent procedures, GBGH staff and physicians immediately began working together to re-schedule services postponed over the past month. If a surgery or procedure was postponed during January or February, the hospital or the patient’s physician will contact individuals to re-schedule.

GBGH estimates 245 procedures and surgeries were postponed (January 7 and January 31) due to the service ramp down. The hospital is finalizing its strategy to address the backlog, which may include adding hours in the surgical, ambulatory care and diagnostic imaging departments.

“The decision to resume these procedures and surgeries really is a balance between ensuring there’s bed capacity and sufficient health human resources to safely care for patients,” says Dr. Vikram Ralhan, chief of staff, GBGH. “Although GBGH is still experiencing high occupancy rates in our inpatient beds and ICU, the majority of surgery we perform is day surgery. Urgent and emergent surgeries that require inpatient care post operatively have and will continue. The resumption of services will not impact our bed capacity and our staffing levels have improved dramatically compared to earlier in January. We are confident we have capacity to safely resume services, start making up for the backlog and not further prolong care for patients.”

There is still a possibility that elective and non-urgent surgeries and procedures could be postponed depending on the status of the pandemic.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH declares COVID-19 outbreak on 1 North inpatient unit

February 7, 2022 – An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on the 1 North Complex Continuing Care and Rehabilitation unit at Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), in collaboration with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. The outbreak includes one staff and two patient who contracted COVID-19 while receiving care at the hospital. Enhanced cleaning and other infection prevention and control measures – including increased testing of patients and staff – are in place. Visitation to the unit is limited to essential caregivers only and the unit is closed to admissions at this time.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Georgian Bay General Hospital

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

COVID-19 outbreak at GBGH declared over

February 2, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), in consultation with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, has officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak over on its 2 East inpatient unit.

The outbreak, originally declared January 29, included one patient who contracted COVID-19 while receiving care at the hospital. No further transmission among patients or staff was determined through increased PCR testing.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Georgian Bay General Hospital

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH declares COVID-19 outbreak on 2 East inpatient unit

January 29, 2022 – An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared on the 2 East inpatient unit at Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), in collaboration with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. The outbreak includes one patient who contracted COVID-19 while receiving care at the hospital.

Enhanced cleaning and other infection prevention and control measures – including increased testing of patients and staff – are in place. Visitation to the unit is limited to essential caregivers of non-COVID positive patients only. The unit has not been closed to admissions at this time.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Georgian Bay General Hospital

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH further limits visitation to ensure safety of patients and staff

January 11, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is adjusting its visitation policy based on the continuing trend of increasing local COVID-19 cases and the transmissibility of the Omicron variant. Effective January 12, admitted patients will be permitted one designated visitor who plays an essential role in caregiving, as determined by the patient and care team.

“Given the transmissibility of the Omicron variant and the impact it’s having on the community, GBGH is further limiting visitation,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “Although never a simple decision, as a hospital we must do all we can to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. The unfortunate, but necessary, next step is restricting visitation until we see a significant downward trend in cases. We continuously evaluate visitation and will once again lift some restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.”

There remain exceptions to the visitation policy in the case of a palliative/actively dying patient. Birthing patients are permitted one visitor for as long as they require assistance.

There is an appeal process for the visitation policy, which is initiated by contacting the patient’s care team, who will then escalate the request to the appropriate hospital staff for a decision.

For outpatient services (i.e. Ambulatory Care, Diagnostic Imaging, Day Surgery) and the Emergency department, GBGH continues to permit only one essential support person per patient based on meeting the following criteria:

• Pediatric patients – i.e. children under 18 (one guardian permitted with child)
• Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care staff supervising a patient
• Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) staff guarding an inmate
• Language barrier (translation required)
• Mental health/competency/confusion challenges
• Palliative

Designated visitors and essential support persons must be vaccinated and show proof of immunization, as well as identification, prior to being granted entry to the hospital. They will also be screened and anyone who screens positive for COVID-19 symptoms will not be able to visit. In exceptional circumstances (such as a support person for a woman in labour, a parent/guardian of a child in the Emergency department or a palliative/end of life patient), a visitor who screens positive for symptoms will be reviewed by GBGH’s infection prevention and control practitioner or hospital coordinator prior to entry.

All visitors must comply with hand hygiene practices, wear a hospital-provided mask for the duration of their visit and follow physical distancing. Visitors could also be asked to wear additional personal protective equipment as determined by the care team based on a patients’ condition.

Visitor guidelines are subject to change based on the status of the pandemic within the region GBGH serves.

For more information, please visit http://gbgh.on.ca/covid-19-visitor-restrictions/.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH welcomes New Year’s baby

After much anticipation and eight days into the New Year, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) welcomed the first baby of the year. Baby Beau was born on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at 6:30 p.m., weighing in at 7 pounds and 10 ounces. Proud parents Kendra Kennedy and David Taylor reside in Tiny Township.

From April 2020 to March 2021, 133 babies were born at GBGH.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext. 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

Reduction in elective and non-urgent procedures and surgeries coming to GBGH

January 7, 2022 – Effective immediately, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is ramping down elective and non-urgent procedures and surgeries as directed by the Ontario government. This provincial direction is intended to preserve bed capacity and healthcare staffing levels in response to rising COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. Urgent and emergent surgeries and procedures will continue at the hospital.

Areas impacted by the reduction in non-urgent and elective services include surgery, ambulatory care and diagnostic imaging. GBGH and physicians are working together to determine which procedures and surgeries will be postponed in the coming weeks. If a scheduled procedure or surgery is postponed, patients will be contacted by the hospital or their physician’s office. If a patient has not been contacted about postponement, their procedure is continuing as scheduled.

If an individual has a requisition from their family physician for a non-urgent diagnostic imaging procedure (i.e. X-ray), GBGH is asking that they delay walk-in visits to have this procedure completed at the hospital.

“We understand the postponement of surgeries and procedures can be frustrating and stressful for patients and their families, but it is essential to preserving both bed and staff capacity in the hospital system right now,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “We are facing one of the most challenging times during the pandemic and must make difficult decisions to ensure resources can be directed where they’re needed the most.”

Postponed surgeries and procedures will be re-scheduled once the directive is lifted by the provincial government. Once full services resume, GBGH will make every effort to re-schedule postponed surgeries and procedures in a timely manner.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Communications Officer, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

Midland COVID-19 Assessment Centre seeing unprecedented demand for testing

December 30, 2021 – The Midland COVID-19 Assessment Centre is currently experiencing unprecedented demand for testing within the community. The centre, operated by the North Simcoe Family Health Team (NSFHT), has been working with its health partners to increase testing appointments for the community, including extending hours Monday to Friday and weekends.

“The Midland COVID-19 Assessment Centre has expanded its hours when possible to accommodate the increased demand for testing,” says Andrew Shantz, executive director, NSFHT. “Current demand has well surpassed the capacity of assessment centres across the province with limited health human resources to staff the centre and perform the swabs. We are increasing staff when possible and we ask for your patience and understanding when both booking a testing appointment and receiving your results.”

Given the extreme demand for testing across Ontario, as of December 30, the provincial government announced new eligibility criteria to preserve testing capacity for those at highest risk of contracting COVID-19. Those considered to be a highest risk include patient-facing healthcare workers, hospitalized patients and individuals 70+ years of age with a risk factor (such as obesity, diabetes or kidney disease). A full list of those now eligible for testing can be found here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1001387/updated-eligibility-for-pcr-testing-and-case-and-contact-management-guidance-in-ontario.

Members of the general public with mild symptoms are being asked not to seek testing. Individuals with symptoms indicative of COVID-19 can be presumed to be infected with COVID-19 and should initiate timely self-isolation to prevent transmission in the community. For more information on self-isolating, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-stop-spread

COVID-19 swabs completed at the Midland COVID-19 Assessment Centre are sent to a central laboratory in Toronto for testing. Given the surge in tests completed over the past two weeks, the central laboratories processing swabs are also experiencing a dramatic increase in volumes – the highest of the pandemic to date. Results of tests may be delayed up to four days. For those awaiting test results, they should continue to check regularly online and self-isolate.

The Emergency department (ED) at Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has also seen a significant increase in people seeking a COVID-19 test. The hospital is not a COVID-19 testing site and those who have mild or no symptoms should not attend the ED for a test.

“GBGH’s Emergency department is always here for you if you’re ill or injured,” says Dr. Vikram Ralhan, chief of staff and Emergency physician, GBGH. “If you think you have COVID-19 and are not experiencing symptoms, or have mild symptoms similar to a cold, please do not visit the ED for testing. Visiting the hospital for testing puts other vulnerable patients at risk of exposure to COVID-19.”

For a list of assessment centre locations across the province, please visit:

https://covid-19.ontario.ca/assessment-centre-locations

To book a COVID-19 test at the Midland COVID-19 Assessment Centre based on the updated testing eligibility criteria announced December 30:

https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/CovidAssessmentCentre@nsfht.ca/bookings/

The operation of the Midland COVID-19 Assessment Centre has been a collaboration between partners – GBGH, the NSFHT, Centre de santé communautaire CHIGAMIK Community Health Centre, Wendat Community Programs and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Communications Officer, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca