Updated Changes at SLMHC

Irene Dube, Corporate Communications Manager, SLMHC - Special to The Bulletin

Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre (SLMHC) continues to stay prepared for a potential increase of COVID-19 in our region. With this in mind, SLMHC is implementing some changes at the hospital and William A. George Extended Care facility (ECU) to protect our clients, patients, residents, staff and physicians. These changes are specifically focused on decreasing the amount of traffic in and out of the hospital, and will directly impact our policies on patient passes, visitors/essential care partners and smoking.
As of December 4, 2020, patients will not be permitted to leave the hospital for short-term (including smoke-breaks) or long-term outings. Additionally, inpatients will be limited to two essential care partners. “Essential care partners” is a term used to define visitors and escorts at the hospital/ECU who are important in providing support to a patient or resident.
Essential care partners will be pre-identified, and required to sign in and out of the facility. They will also receive a sticker to identify their role while moving throughout the hospital. To reduce in-and-out traffic, essential care partners will be limited to entering the hospital once per day. Essential care partners must limit their visit to the one patient they are approved to visit. Outpatients, coming in for appointments or the Emergency Department, will still be allowed one essential care partner to accompany them.
“These extra precautions are being introduced to reduce patient and visitor traffic in and out of the hospital. We want to keep everyone as safe as possible while giving and receiving health care services here at SLMHC,” explains Heather Lee, President and CEO. “We know this is not ideal and may feel difficult for many, but we have to prioritize the health and safety of our patients, residents, and our health care team. Our staff are here to provide support and answer any questions that our patients and visitors may have. We thank you again for your patience and understanding.”
We remind all patients and essential care partners coming to the hospital that there is COVID-19 screening in place at the entrances. Outpatients coming in for appointments must enter the hospital through the Main Entrance (next to the hostel) and pass the screening questions before proceeding to registration. Those coming in to the Emergency Department for a medical emergency, or individuals who are pre-identified as essential care partners for an inpatient, must enter the hospital through the Emergency Department entrance.
To find out about how our services and facilities are impacted by COVID-19, please visit www.slmhc.on.ca/covid19 or follow us on Facebook or Twitter at @menoyawin.