MAHC-Community-Health-Bulletin-Final

Qu Ce
Se
Emergency care at MAHC
We all share a common desire
when it comes to emergency care
– assurance and peace of mind
that it will be available to help us in our
time of need.
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare operates
full-service emergency departments in
both Bracebridge and Huntsville with specially-trained
staff and physicians standing
by 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
MAHC is proud of the quality of emergency
care provided to our communities
and of the exceptional staff that is there to
help you. Doing our very best for each of
the more than 40,000 annual visits relies
on top-notch equipment along with competent
and compassionate care providers.
“We are your fi rst stop when an emergency
happens,” says Dr. John Simpson,
MAHC’s Emergency Department Medical
Director. “Our clinicians have specialized
training like advanced cardiac life support
to ensure they can meet your urgent
needs.”
Emergency visits are prioritized on how
fast a patient needs to see a physician.
The staff is trained to assess and triage
patients using the Canadian Triage Acuity
Standards. This nationwide standard
allows nurses and physicians to triage
patients according to the type and severity
of the signs and symptoms they arrive at
the department with so patients with the
most urgent needs are seen fi rst.
“We know it can be frustrating when
people have to wait,” says Dr. Simpson.
“However we always try to treat patients
as quickly as possible, while providing
thorough care.”
Depending on your visit, you may be
treated and sent home, you could be
monitored in the department while further
diagnostics such as lab work or a CT Scan
are arranged, or you could be admitted
as an inpatient and have other physicians
consult on your care.
“Our clinicians will ask you about your
medication history and the doses and directions,”
says Dr. Simpson. “We also need
to know about any recent changes to your
medicines, if you have any drug allergies
and how you reacted to the medication.
Knowing all the medicines you are taking
and how you take them helps us to better
treat your condition safely and effectively.”
If your injury requires the care of a
specialist outside of our region, such as orthopedics
for a hip fracture or heart catheterization
for cardiac events, the team
transfers you to another centre where you
will get the care you need.
“If we can’t fully treat your condition
here, we will stabilize you and coordinate
your transfer by ambulance – land or air,”
Dr. John Simpson is MAHC’s Emergency Department
Medical Director.
says Dr. Simpson. “There are a lot of tools
that are available to us to support linkages
with other services and clinicians, such
as Criticall, Life or Limb, telemedicine and
teletrauma.”
Having essential equipment in the emergency
departments and digital diagnostic
capabilities supported by an electronic
health record adds to quality of service
provided to you by our MAHC teams.
“If we can’t fully treat your condition here, we will stabilize you and
coordinate your transfer by ambulance – land or air.”
Both of MAHC’s sites are equipped with
helipads and Ornge is used to expedite
patient transfers.
10 2016 COMMUNITY HEALTH BULLETIN