The Intensive Care Unit at Belleville General Hospital has undergone a much-needed expansion.
In a grand opening today, the ICU at the Belleville hospital has opened three new spots for patients.
According to Quinte Health, this comes as staff have been providing care to patients with inadequate space, triggering the need for a satellite unit over the past few years.
“The Quinte Health ICU expansion has been a positive step forward for our staff, patients and community,” says Dr. Craig Holt, medical director of Critical Care at Quinte Health.
“This expansion is of incredible significance to our ICU team, our patients and their loved ones, and to the community we serve.”
The ICU cares for adult patients, with a significant focus on respiratory support.
During the pandemic, the ICU fielded a high number of patients, with most needing some form of life support intervention.
“The pandemic shone a light on the essential work of the ICU team, heroically extending care to patients facing life‐threatening conditions,” says Stacey Daub, president and CEO of Quinte Health.
“This expansion is of incredible significance to our ICU team, our patients and their loved ones, and to the community we serve.”
Even with this expansion, Quinte Health says the ICU continues to be at or above surge capacity most of the time.
They say this expansion is just an interim measure, and that a larger ICU expansion will be needed in the future.
Funding for this expansion is a one-time, $4.3 million investment from the provincial government.