The Sudbury ALC Steering Group is recommending that the former Memorial Hospital site be used as a “surge capacity measure” for as long as it takes to adequately deal with problems associated with high numbers of alternate level of care (ALC) patients at Sudbury Regional Hospital's acute-care facility.
This Memorial 'surge unit' facility would be home to up to 75 patients, according to Dr. Peter Zalan, co-chair of the ALC group and president of the medical staff at the hospital. He spoke to reporters about the plan at a media conference Jan. 20.
The Memorial facility would be used as a pressure valve to prevent problems associated with a sudden increase, or surge, of patients at the hospital's acute care facility.
These patients would be those who have “finished their acute hospital care but are not yet able to move to their next destination” such as those who are waiting for home care or a rehabilitation bed at the St. Joseph Complex Continuing Care facility, Zalan said.
There are currently about 130 patients residing at Memorial. Most of these patients are destined for long-term care facilities, and are scheduled to be moved out of the facility by the end of March.
The hospital's medical staff, who are concerned about problems at the hospital caused by a recent surge of patient admissions, “want reassurance” that the surge unit will be funded, Zalan said.
Sudbury Regional Hospital has agreed to provide bridge funding for the surge unit, and talks are ongoing with the North East LHIN about funding.
They have asked Sudbury Regional Hospital and the North East Local Health Integration Network (NE LHIN) to give a progress report in a month.
For more on this story, check future editions of Northern Life.
