Hours extended at COVID-19 clinic amid increased community spread
Stevenson Memorial Hospital has seen the impact of the latest wave, so to support the increased demand, the Alliston hospital partnered with community physicians to expand hours at its COVID-19, Cold and Flu Clinic.
"This is our assessment clinic where we actually have built that in addition to our testing centre," says SMH Director of HR, occupational health and volunteer services Jennifer Manicom.
Patients don't need to test positive to visit the clinic, which opened in Feburary.
"We've been able to support anyone with symptoms through the pandemic. Especially this most recent wave where anyone who is potentially looking for Paxlovid, those types of things or just looking to see a physician," says Manicom.
The clinic has helped ease the strain on the hospital's emergency room.
"We originally started at just two days a week but increased it because the need was there from the community," says Manicom.
The clinic is now open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Meanwhile, the hospital is also offering a virtual program for positive COVID-19 patients who aren't sick enough for the hospital but need monitoring, called COVID at Home.
"We're able to provide coaching during their recovery, so we mitigate the risk of them coming back and being admitted," says SMH Director of Ambulatory Care and Mental Health Kate Ostrovsky.
A team of nurses check in with patients every day for five to 10 days, depending on the situation.
"It has been developed with the partnership of the South Simcoe Ontario health team, and we have received the funding from Ontario health," says Ostrovsky.
COVID at Home is intended for follow-up care and has been running since January.
Ostrovsky says the program has been successful, with positive feedback from patients.
"Sometimes they're just not entirely sure what's next for them, so just providing that support, talking to them daily, checking in on their symptoms," says Ostrovsky.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.