Queensway Carleton Hospital launches new off-site COVID-19 assessment centre

As the weather turns colder, health experts are projecting a surge in COVID-19 and flu cases. The Queensway Carleton Hospital is hoping to ease the pressure on emergency rooms by opening a new off-site clinic.

The former Grant Alternative School on Draper Avenue has been transformed into a clinic to treat patients with respiratory issues and provide COVID-19 testing.

Dr. Lisa Lalonde works at the clinic a few days a week and says it is a great environment for both physicians and patients.

“We have bloodwork. We have EKG. We have chest X-ray,” says Lalonde. “It's a really efficient model; we’re a great team. Nurses are from QCH and the cleaners, and most of the physicians. And yeah, we put 600 people through in a day. We've used the school setting before and it's spacious and in fact it's, I think, more comfortable than an emergency department.”

Dr. Joeseph Pollard, the West Ottawa Clinical Assessment Centre’s medical director, says it is opening just in time for another possible surge in COVID-19 cases this fall.

“Emergency rooms, as everybody knows right now, are getting hit pretty hard,” says Pollard. “Wait times are going up and we're here to partly unload the emergency rooms and take away those patients that can be properly treated here.”

With COVID-19 restrictions lifted and the flu season beginning, health officials expect an overflow in emergency rooms.

“Unfortunately, at the moment, we're still predicting another wave as far as COVID,” says Pollard. “And certainly, with the reopening of the schools, we're certainly concerned about a resurgence and that's part of why we're here is to make sure that we can continue to care for our community.”

The school has been turned into a fully equipped medical clinic, and has a full suite of services for patients with respiratory illnesses.

“It's pretty neat,” says Sarah Barnett, administrative control clerk. “A lot of people say the same thing. It's been a change, I guess, from working in actual clinic, but it's neat.”

Lalonde says a setting like this allows her to treat patients in a unique way compared to the hectic pace of hospitals.

“It’s providing care for people in a setting where we're not in a rush,” says Lalonde. “You know, that's not like the office and it's really isn't like emerge. We can take time with people.”

Monday was the official first day patients could take advantage of this new off-site clinic.

The assessment centre is open for appointments Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.