MAINSTREETER STAFF
Early November witnessed the opening of a temporary 120-bed short stay transitional health care unit within the newly-constructed Greystone Village Retirement Home (GVRH). The new unit is overseen by the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital and managed by Integrated Care Solutions, a division of Bayshore HealthCare.
Patients at the short-stay unit, which is located on Scholastic Avenue in Old Ottawa East, have been transferred from overcrowded acute care hospitals such as The Ottawa Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital, and Hôpital Montfort, which are struggling under the strain on existing acute care facilities caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The new GVRH health care unit will not house patients under treatment for the COVID-19 virus; rather, the new unit is targeted for patients who no longer need the acute care that hospitals provide, but who are in need of specialized care before returning home or to long-term care.
With its own plans to open postponed due to COVID-19, Greystone Village Retirement Home was the perfect partner for the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital’s plan to oversee a new acute health care facility. Photo by Melinda Newman
“Transitional care is needed in our region more than ever,” says Guy Chartrand, President and CEO of Bruyère. “These 120 beds will help alleviate some of the pressure on the health care system and on our acute care partners while helping people access the care they need at a crucial time in their journey.”
GVRH had been scheduled to open its doors in April, however, the opening was postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic. Health authorities in Ottawa, including the Champlain COVID-19 Response Committee, identified the new retirement facility as one that the Bruyère could utilize for short stay transitional patient care. Bruyère, which has been working during the pandemic with health care partners and the province of Ontario to help ease the challenges regarding the availability of beds and the flow of patients, saw GVRH as a perfect fit, as did the local owners and operators of the new retirement home.
“Our goal with Greystone Village Retirement was always to help community members maintain their independence,” says Jennifer Martel, Co-Owner and General Manager of GVRH. “We are pleased that our facility will be able to provide some comfort to those who need a safe path back to the community.”
With Ottawa and other parts of the province now engulfed by the second wave of coronavirus, demand for additional acute care hospital beds is expected to worsen before it improves, shining a light on the shortfalls of a health care system that has not kept pace with patient needs in recent years.
“Building more capacity is essential to ensure our health care system is prepared for a surge in demand and supports our ongoing efforts to end hallway health care in Ontario,” Christine Elliott, Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, told a news conference to announce the new GVRH unit. “These new transitional care beds at Greystone Village Retirement Home will support patients and their families in the Ottawa region as they transition out of acute care into the next stage of their recovery.”
