New Montreal clinic staffed by overtime nurses aims to ease ER pressures
A new clinic in Montreal’s east end celebrated its inauguration on Thursday. It’s staffed entirely by nurse practitioners clocking in on voluntary overtime with hopes the centre will relieve stress on nearby emergency rooms.
Staff at the brand-new CLSC Olivier Guimond spent the day preparing for their first patients. Manager Isabelle Besner-Leduc told CTV the clinic’s opening was long overdue.
“We needed it years ago, really,” she said.
When it’s fully up and running, the clinic should help to relieve pressures on the nearby Santa Cabrini and Masionneuve-Rosemont hospital ERs. On Thursday, both had occupancy rates at around 150 per cent.
Officials say, however, that a significant portion of people in ERs don’t need to be there, and could be better served in a clinic environment.
To become a patient at the Olivier Guimond, people first need to be referred to the clinic by a triage nurse or by 811.
“Nurse practitioners, because of their education, can diagnose illnesses,” said Lina Spagnolo, nursing director at the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Ile-de-Montreal. “They can prescribe diagnostic tests -- for example, an ultrasound.”
“The big advantage we have is we can be independent and use the training we have without having to use a doctor,” said Besner-Leduc.
For now, all the nurses at the clinic have jobs elsewhere and volunteer to take additional shifts. The centre plans to hire three full-time practitioners in the coming weeks.
Two other clinics like Olivier Guimond will open elsewhere in Montreal – one in Verdun, and another near Notre-Dame Hospital.
Meanwhile, the province is also trying to ease ER crowding by boosting telehealth staff.
“We need roughly 5,000 nurses that could be helping on the phone explaining to patients that are calling what are the symptoms, should they stay home, should they go to a pharmacist, should they go to the emergency room,” said Health Minister Christian Dube.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.