Windsor-Essex hospitals relaunch online tool to track ER wait times

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Patients at local hospital emergency departments can skip the uncertainty of showing up and sitting down, as Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores HealthCare have reintroduced their online wait-time clocks after going down with other systems during last year’s cyberattack.

The online tool, which had been unavailable since October 2023, provides patients with an average estimate of the time it takes to see a doctor after being triaged. The clocks also display the total number of patients currently being treated and those waiting in the emergency department.

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“Understanding the current wait times can empower patients to choose the right care at the right time,” Erie Shoes HealthCare CEO Kristin Kennedy said in a statement. “While the emergency department is equipped to handle urgent and life-threatening situations, many conditions can be effectively treated through other healthcare options available in the community.”

In October 2023, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, Chatham-Kent Alliance, Bluewater Health, and their shared service provider, Transform Shared Service Organization, fell victim to a cyberattack.  

The ransomware assault shut down systems at all the hospitals, delayed procedures, and forced some local patients to seek treatment in other cities. The hackers also stole sensitive data and posted it on the dark web after the hospitals refused to pay a ransom. 

All clinical systems have since been restored.

“The wait time clocks are another example of how we’re leveraging technology to enhance transparency in patient care decisions,” Windsor Regional Hospital acting president and CEO Karen Riddell said in a release.

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“By providing clear, real-time information, we aim to reduce uncertainty for patients and help them make informed decisions about their healthcare needs.”

Windsor Regional Hospital first launched its online clock for its Ouellette and Met campuses in 2018. Erie Shores HealthCare launched a similar service in March 2023. 

On Monday, the average emergency room wait time for a first assessment by a doctor at Windsor’s Met campus was 6 1/2 hours, at one point. At Ouellette campus, it was about two hours. The average wait to see a doctor at Erie Shores Healthcare in Leamington was about 45 minutes.

In October, the average emergency room wait time across the province had remained steady at around two hours.

The shortest wait time in Ontario, tied between Southlake Regional Health Centre and South Bruce Grey Health Centre’s Durham campus, was 40 minutes. The Children’s Hospital Of Eastern Ontario had the longest wait time in October at 4.3 hours. 

The Ministry of Health told the Windsor Star in an emailed statement Monday that the information is updated month to month and the next month of data “would be available shortly.”

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Visiting Windsor Regional Hospital?

Due to active cases of RSV in both the hospital and community, the hospital has updated its visitor policy to protect pediatric and NICU patients.

Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the pediatric unit. Two visitors per family are allowed in at any time and only one caregiver can stay overnight. All visitors must be over the age of 16 years old.

In the NICU unit, parents are welcome 24 hours a day except during shift change from 6:45-7:45 a.m./ p.m. All other visitors are welcome to visit from 12-6 p.m. when a parent is present at the bedside. Only two visitors per family are allowed in at any time.

Any visitors showing signs of illness will not be able to visit the units until they are feeling better. Any signs of cough, fever, chills or sore throat should be reported to staff before entering the units. There will also be strict screening to ensure NICU patients are protected.

Visitation is permitted 24 hours a day for primary caregivers of patients in palliative pare, critical care, and the emergency department.

— With files from Trevor Wilhelm 

[email protected]

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