Collingwood General and Marine Hospital president and CEO Norah Holder and board chair Lesley Paul updated Clearview council Monday on the impact COVID-19 has had on hospital operations.
“It has been a whirlwind of change but the teamwork and the adaptability from all members of our CGMH team has been tremendous and greatly appreciated,” said Holder.
She said staffing has increased by 18 per cent since the beginning of the pandemic with the hiring of nurses, security, cleaners, etc… and that there was a gap felt when 422 volunteers were sent home, no longer able to perform duties at the hospital.
She said there has been virtually no cases of cold and flu and emergency visits are down but the mental health response has increased and there are more people coming in with serious illness that has progressed too far due to people avoiding the hospital.
Their message is that the hospital is open for those in need and no one should hesitate to seek care.
Having recently, and for the second time, ramped down all elective surgeries, hospital staff are preparing for an increase in procedures later on, as well as an increase in cancers that may have gone undetected during the pandemic.
Holder said that the hospital has been creative in using space, having added an ICU in an under-utilized room. Overall, CGMH has received 14 patient transfers from the GTA of people in need of intensive care.
The lease has been extended on the Collingwood Legion, where an 18-bed overflow facility is being utilized for non-COVID positive patients. The facility provides care for patients who require transitional care or an alternative destination of care whose acute care needs have been met, but may require transfer to rehabilitation, long-term care, a retirement home or other post-acute care services.