Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) unveiled its Union Street Site, a temporary alternate health facility designed for use if and when the number of COVID-19 patients coming to the Kingston General Hospital surges.
“We’re really thrilled to have this amazing, beautiful facility,” says Dr. David Pichora, the president and CEO of KHSC.
The Ministry of Health requested that the region prepare a space to help Kingston General Hospital (KGH) with capacity, so that people with non-COVID related illnesses can still get treatment even if cases rise. Dr. Pichora says no COVID-19 patients will be entering this facility.
The Union Street Site is located on property owned by Queen’s University, which is now leasing the former Gibson Wing to Providence Care for a centre that will open sometime in 2021. If needed, KHSC will use a portion of the main floor for the alternate hospital facility as part of its COVID-19 pandemic preparedness plans.
“These would be inpatients that have been at KGH or Hotel Dieu who could move here, so that we could continue to take advantage of our KGH site primarily for COVID-related illnesses,” says Pichora.
The 24,500-square-foot facility has 70 beds, supplies and technology such as access to basic lab testing.
Work on the site began in November of last year, and was completed March 5.
The site remains on standby, and with vaccine rollout ramping up in KFL&A, the hope is that the overflow facility won’t be a necessity.
Pichora says that there are currently about five COVID-19 outpatients at Kingston General Hospital and more to come. The exact number of patients from outside regions depends on direction from the province.