CHEO suspends virtual ER visits so staff can focus on in-person care
CHEO is suspending virtual visits to its Emergency Department this winter to reassign staff to providing in-person care at the children's hospital.
CHEO says to keep up with the increased demand for in-person services and reduce the department's wait times, it has suspended virtual visits to the emergency department for 90 days.
"This suspension allows CHEO to reassign much-needed staff from virtual care to providing in-person support to kids and families who are coming to our Emergency Department," said CHEO in a statement.
Staff at the emergency department cared for more than 7,100 children and youth in-person in October, and another 6,682 patients in November.
"CHEO has seen an extraordinary demand for in-person urgent care services, starting with record months in the summer," said the children's hospital on Wednesday.
Over the last three months, visits to the CHEO emergency department have been at levels normally seen at the peak of the viral season through the winter.
In May 2020, CHEO became Canada's first pediatric hospital to offer virtual appointments with a pediatric emergency physician, eliminating the need for families to go to the emergency department for non-medical-life-threatening care.
CHEO says there are alternatives to the emergency department if you need care for your child, including visiting your primary-care provider, a walk-in clinic or a CHEO care clinic.
A new east Ottawa Kids COVID-19 Care Clinic opened on Innes Road in Orleans this fall, providing care for children and youth with acute illnesses, which include a fever, cough or runny nose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
BREAKING Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
BREAKING 1 dead in rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont.; 5 others injured
Ontario Provincial Police confirm one person has died after a single-vehicle rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont. that seriously injured five others.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street