Trading scrubs for hard hats

In August, almost a dozen MCH Emergency Department (ED) staff members visited the Glen to get a better idea of their new space. The inter-professional team was made up of clerks, nurses, and physicians. “It was important for us to have representation across the board on our first group visit,” says Lyne St-Martin, the department’s nurse manager. “Every member of our team brings a different perspective and it’s essential for us to work together.”

From day one, Dr. Harley Eisman, director of the ED, has been instrumental in the planning process and was very happy that members of his team finally had the opportunity to visit the site. “Everyone was very impressed by the progress,” he says. “Now we can start coordinating our work flow and figuring out how best to use our new space.” In terms of physical space, the new ER is larger and a great deal of thought has gone into improving the overall experience for patients. For example, the ED’s Fast-Track rooms are directly across from the Waiting Area, allowing non-urgent patients to be treated quickly without having to go through a full triage.

With over 200 employees, the Emergency Department is currently rethinking their processes and restructuring the way they work. In fact, a few critical changes have already taken place to improve their efficiency. In April, Drs. Eisman, Sasha Dubrovsky and Jessica Stewart introduced the pod system for physicians, in which a physician is designated to a specific area in the ER. The goal was to maximize time spent with each patient by reducing the time spent running from one end of the ED to the other. “Eventually we’d like to use the pod system for the entire team,” says Dr. Dubrovsky. “This is definitely something we’ll be implementing at the Glen.”

More exciting features of the new MCH ED:

• More trauma and treatment rooms and specialized examination rooms
• Greater number of hand washing stations for staff members
• Separate entrances for ambulance bay and the public
• Mobile stock carts with key equipment outside every patient room

Lyne St-Martin, Nurse Manager

“The new ED has a more logical flow, which allows us to manage our patients in a safer way. We now have everything we need to make the patient experience even better. I know this is a historical moment and I will never relive this twice in my career.”

Danielle Deslauriers, nurse

“I’m looking forward to the extra space and separate rooms. Right now six of our observation stretchers are divided by curtains. At the Glen, each room will be separate, which will help reduce cross-contamination. It will also allow me to better focus on each individual family.”

Scott Dobby, clerk

“The walls are up, but the logistics are still to be determined. As an ED clerk, I’m either coordinating our patients, stocking rooms, or answering phone calls – so I’m excited about working in a new space and figuring out how best to do my job.”

Dr. Sasha Dubrovsky, physician

“When it comes to change, some people tend to focus on the challenges, but I’m excited about this whole process. Without a doubt the new ED will be a better environment for our patients and staff. It’s easy to talk about things we can’t do, but it’s important to dream about our best case scenario and see how we can make it come true!”