Montfort and COVID-19

Montfort is actively involved in the fight against COVID-19.

 

 

What is the situation?

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve locally, Montfort and Ottawa area hospitals are taking further action to ensure the health and safety of patients, families and our workforce. In-line with guidance from the Ontario Ministry of Health, hospitals in the Ottawa area are taking a planned approach to postpone non-urgent surgeries, procedures, and outpatient programming and clinics.

 

What are we doing?

Montfort and the other hospitals in Ottawa are always here to care for patients, and are working together to find solutions to protect safety, while continuing to provide excellent care. 

Surgeries, procedures, and outpatient programming and clinics to be postponed are selected on a set of clear criteria to carefully consider the health-care needs of our patients while maintaining their safety. Hospital staff are notifying patients, so that they have all the information they need regarding their care.

Reducing activity in operating rooms and other areas of the hospital allows the hospitals to be ready to take on potential and confirmed COVID-19 cases, as the situation continues to evolve. Hospitals in the Ottawa area have also stepped up their infection prevention and control to help reduce the possible spread of COVID-19.

 

Are there COVID-19 patients at Montfort ?

As of June 2 at 10 a.m., Montfort is caring for 8 hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Upon arrival, patients who appear to have symptoms of COVID-19 are placed in isolation with precautionary measures. These measures allow us to offer high quality and safe care for all our patients and our staff members. 
 
For additional information on the number of patients hospitalised, please consult the daily reports issued by Ottawa Public Health on the number of cases in Ottawa. The Full Report includes references to the number of people in Ottawa who require hospitalisation; and among them, how many require intensive care at this point. 
 
Outbreaks
 

A sensitive case definition for a COVID-19 outbreak is required because of the nature of the virus. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is currently using the following definition for declaring a COVID-19 outbreak in a hospital or a long-term care centre:

  • One or more patients with lab-confirmed COVID-19 where there is reasonable probability of acquisition while in hospital, OR
  • Two or more cases of acute respiratory infection amongst healthcare workers that are epidemiologically linked, one of which is lab-confirmed COVID-19, OR
  • One case of acute respiratory infection in a patient with an epidemiological link to a healthcare worker with lab-confirmed COVID-19.

Institutional COVID-19 outbreaks in Ottawa are announced daily on the Ottawa Public Health website. We also issued a statement on the COVID-19 outbreaks that were declared at Montfort.

 

 

Can I visit a patient in the hospital?

Visits are not authorised anymore at Montfort

In order to protect everyone's health, visits will no longer be permitted at Montfort starting on March 20, however, we offer you options to keep in touch.

Also, we do allow one (1) visitor at a time in the following circumstances, for compassionate reasons. This list is subject to change without notice.

  • Patient who is dying, terminally ill, or seriously ill;
  • Delivery at the Family Birthing Centre (only one support person);
  • Surgical patient (accompaniment on arrival and discharge);
  • Patient with reduced mobility who has an appointment;
  • Patient care proxy, if consent cannot be obtained by telephone;
  • Translator or interpreter;
  • Patient under 18 years of age.

Exceptionally, the presence of more than one person is authorized at the time of administering the medical aid to die.

No visitors are permitted for patients awaiting test results for COVID-19.

The hospital is safe for patients, the visitors that are allowed in, and staff.

Masks

All our patients receive a surgical mask when entering the hospital.

As for visitors, we recommend that visitors wear a mask at all time while they are inside the hospital, in line with the recommendations from the health autorities in Canada and Ottawa Public Health.

If a visitor did not bring a mask, we will offer a cloth mask made by members of our community; some of these masks have also been sponsored by the Montfort Foundation.

Emergency Department

Our Emergency Department remains open.

Existing appointments

Some of our services are still operating, but on a reduced scale. If your appointment is not cancelled, people at the control centre in the hospital's main entrance will ask you to wear a mask and wash your hands before going to your appointment.

To talk to a patient

We are aware that restricting visits is not easy on anyone. We encourage family and friends of hospitalised patients to stay in regular contact with their loved one, as each patient has access to a telephone in their room.

  • To reach a patient, call 613-746-4621 and enter the room phone number.
  • If you do not know the patient's room number, call 613-746-4621 and press 0.
  • We also launched a new service to help you connect with a patient.

Screening for authorized visitors

Everyone who comes to Montfort for appointments or compassionate visits must answer a series of questions when they enter the hospital. Please note that screening criteria are subject to change as guidelines evolve.

Thank you for your support in keeping our patients safe.

 

Can a family member deliver personal belongings to a patient?

Yes, it is possible. A family member can bring the effects in a bag identified with the patient's name and present themselves at the main entrance. The family member will have to place the bag on a table and a porter will come to pick it up and deliver it to the patient.

 

What to do if I think I have the novel coronavirus?

If you are an Ottawa resident and feel that you need to be tested for COVID-19, even if you are not symptomatic, you can go to one of the two COVID-19 clinics or the COVID-19 Assessment Centre. You should not be refused unless traffic is significant. In this case, priority for screening will be given to residents in high-risk groups and those with symptoms. For more information, visit the Ottawa Public Health website.

Clinics are open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, including holidays.

  • COVID-19 East Ottawa Care Clinic: 1485 Heron Road 
  • COVID-19 West Ottawa Care Clinic: 595 Moodie Rd. 

The Brewer Assessment Centre is open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily.

  • Located in the Brewer Arena, 151 Brewer Lane. Access from Bronson Avenue, across from Carleton University.

If you are in distress (e.g., severe difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, or significant worsening of a chronic condition), go to the nearest Emergency Department.

 

Should I go to my appointment at the Montfort?

Montfort remains open, although some of our services operate on a smaller scale. Patients whose appointment have been postponed have received a call, or will receive a call shortly.

The hospital is safe for patients and visitors.

 

Montfort is testing patients who may have COVID-19. Is it still safe to come to my appointment?

Yes, of course. The hospital has measures in place to prepare for, detect and respond to any potential cases – and to help prevent the spread of infection. 

 

I have flu-like symptoms. Should I still come to my appointment?

You should call ahead to the clinic in case it is necessary to reschedule your appointment: 613-746-4621, then press 3. If your appointment is not cancelled, people at the control centre in the hospital's main entrance will ask you to wear a mask and wash your hands before going to your appointment.

 

Will I get sick if I come to the hospital?

Your safety is important to us. We have safety measures put in to prevent the spread of infections. It is also important to wash your hands frequently, including when entering and leaving the hospital and before eating or drinking.

 

Do you have enough supplies to treat me?

Montfort – like other hospitals in the region – has supplies put aside for events like this. We have appropriate supplies to get us through a hurdle should we face one.

 

Do you accept donations?

Money donations

At Montfort, our heroes need heroes too. That's why the Montfort Foundation has created a COVID-19 emergency fund, which allows you to make an online donation. The money raised will be used to meet our growing needs related to the pandemic—both for our frontline workers and our patients. Thank you for considering making a contribution during these difficult times.

Material donations

While we are not making a call-out for donations of Personal Protection Equipment, we are very grateful to those who have donated or are offering to donate material such as

  • isolation gowns 
  • masks
  • gloves
  • face shields
  • disinfectant wipes and 
  • hand sanitizer
We have even received offers from community members who are willing to sew items; while we appreciates this kind offer, there are particular specifications that need to be met for health and safety. 
 
In response to the offers of donations, we created COVIDDonations@toh.ca – which is where the community can send their offers. These donations will be distributed to hospitals and care facilities throughout the Champlain region.  

 

Might I be sharing a room with a COVID-19 patient?

If a patient is suspected of having COVID-19, they are put on isolation precautions – they would not be sharing a room with a patient admitted for other medical reasons.

 

Do you have enough room for coronavirus patients?

We have a tiered surge plan identifying space and staffing in the event of an increase of COVID-19 patients.

 

Are you able to handle a pandemic?

We have decades of experience dealing with new viruses and a strong patient care team. There is work happening at every level, planning for different scenarios and ensuring we are ready for patients who might need acute medical attention.

 

What can I do to prevent my loved ones and myself from getting COVID-19?

To better protect the people around you, wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer. When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or into your arm. It is always recommended to get a flu shot if you haven't already done so, as the flu virus is still circulating in the community. Stay home if you are unwell.

 

When will you resume elective surgeries and procedures?

 

Surgeries continue to take place in hospitals, as determined by urgent need. Care teams maintain contact with their patients to monitor their conditions and provide virtual care where needed. If the condition of anyone waiting for these procedures and surgeries has changed over this time, we encourage them to contact their primary care provider for assessment.

Hospitals in the region are reviewing the directive given by the province last week, and working together to develop a medical framework that creates a fair process guided by principles and ethics, and resumes scheduled surgeries and procedures in the right way, at the right time. Hospitals will ensure that criteria set out by the government are met in the region as a whole.

The past two months have seen unprecedented changes to our health-care system. As we work together across the region to resume services, our priority is to have scheduled and elective surgeries resume in an environment that is ready to provide excellent and compassionate care for all, and remains ready to deal with ongoing impacts of COVID-19 throughout our health system.

If residents are in need of urgent care, we encourage them to come to our Emergency Departments. It is safe and we are here to care for you.

 

Where can I go to get more information?

Ottawa Public Health has the most up to date information on their website. We encourage you to go there for more detailed information about COVID-19.

Thank you for your support in keeping our patients safe.