The Erie-St. Clair LHIN meets on November 27, 2014. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)The Erie-St. Clair LHIN meets on November 27, 2014. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Chatham

Freeing Critical Care Beds

The Erie St. Clair LHIN is focusing on freeing up critical care hospital beds.

CEO Gary Switzer says more support is needed to move less critical patients into the community.

"With the proper care, wrap-around care for those patients, make sure the staff have the training and the emergency protocols are in place that when they need to reach back into the hospital for that support that it is there," he says. "This is a process that is happening across Ontario, we happen to be leading it in a couple of areas because we can identify right now around ten patients that we feel qualify for moving out into the community subject to their approval."

Switzer says as the population ages, the key is finding ways to supply enough care at either less intensive facilities or even home.

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