Patients will soon notice a change in how the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance's emergency room operates.
Officials are developing a rapid assessment zone (RAZ)so patients can get treated and released faster.
"It's something like you might see at Disney World," says Chief Nursing Executive Willie Kirenko. "So you wait, then there's an activity, then you may wait a few minutes more, but then another decision is made."
When patients who don't need resuscitation or a wheelchair enter the emergency room, Kirenko says they'll see a doctor or nurse within minutes. They'll be examined on a stretcher or bed, then moved into a sub-waiting area for diagnosis and results.
"Rather than being held back, they'll be seen almost immediately. A decision will be made on the appropriate tests, and wait times will be very much reduced," says Kirenko.
She says staffing levels will not be affected by the RAZ. Kirenko expects the emergency room changes to come within the next couple months.