WINNIPEG — Victoria Hospital Emergency department is slated to be shut down and converted to an urgent care facility on October 3rd of this year. That emergency room currently sees 88 patients a day on average. The WRHA made the announcement Wednesday, in a conference that revealed more detail into the complete overhaul of the province’s health care system.
It’s one of several changes recently announced in what the province called the biggest health care revamp “in a generation”.
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In advance of the change, additional capacity is being created at St. Boniface, Grace and HSC to handle any additional patient intake. Details on the cost and timeline for these changes were not immediately available.
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Also slated for October, Misericordia Urgent Care Centre will begin conversion into the Community IV Clinic. Misericordia currently sees an average of 106 patients daily.
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Phase two of the changes will occur in spring/summer 2018. They include:
- Opening new and expanded Grace emergency department
- Conversion of Seven Oaks ER to 24/7 urgent care centres.
- Concordia’s ER will close and no longer provide emergency care.
- Seven Oaks and Concordia medicine beds will refocus to transitional care. ICU services will shift to HSC, St. Boniface and Grace.
- Inpatient surgical services will move from Seven Oaks to other sites and Mental health services will move from Grace and Seven Oaks to Victoria, HSC and St. Boniface.
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“I’m excited to undertake improvements to our health care system,” Premier Brian Pallister said Wednesday.
“We have the worst lineups in Canada. I get emails every week from people who are frustrated. We are changing things because we have a system that’s broken. It needs to work better.”
For more information the WRHA has set up a website, healingourhealthsystem.ca