Gradual Reintroduction of Services at Joseph Brant Hospital

Joseph Brant Hospital is gradually reintroducing the scheduled surgical and out-patient clinical care that had been paused during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the direction of the Ontario government. During that period, the hospital continued to conduct urgent surgeries and other emergency care to meet health care needs of the community.

Together with our regional partners, and following the direction of the government, we have developed a principled plan to gradually phase in non-urgent procedures and services. This plan will allow us to balance the need to resume care for patients who have been waiting for treatment with our obligation to be ready for a possible surge in COVID-19 patients. Protecting the health and safety of our patients, staff and community is our top priority and a critical component of our plan.

Services Resuming

Over the coming weeks and months, JBH hospital procedures and services that were reduced or paused since March 2020 will gradually start to be phased back in. We have met the conditions set by the provincial government to move forward, which include maintaining bed capacity for COVID-19 patients, the ability to adjust service and occupancy levels in the event of a resurgence of COVID-19, a mandated inventory of personal protective equipment, and physical distancing in patient areas.

The following services are now gradually resuming on a non-urgent basis:

• Surgeries
• Diagnostic Imaging

Information for Patients Awaiting Treatment

Reintroducing scheduled surgeries and clinical services will take time, as together with our physicians, we must prioritize patients with the most critical and urgent health needs.

If your appointment or procedure was cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, your physician or surgeon’s office will contact you directly once they are ready to reschedule you. This may take some time, depending on your health status. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your physician or surgeon’s office directly for guidance.

If you have immediate concerns about your health, please contact your primary care provider for guidance.

If you are experiencing serious symptoms, please call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency department.

Visiting the Hospital

We recognize that as we transition to a “new normal” over the coming weeks and months, the patient experience may be different than it was pre-COVID-19. Our goal is to make your visit as safe and as seamless as possible, while looking at ways in which we can enhance the quality of care we provide at JBH.

We have been providing virtual visits, and these may be expanded further. We are reconfiguring our patient waiting areas to promote physical distancing and are scheduling appointments to ensure that we are safely limiting the number of patients in clinical areas.

For the safety of all visitors, patients, suppliers and staff, please follow these important reminders when visiting the hospital:

• We are using one main entrance in an effort to control and prevent the spread of COVID-19 – please enter at the Main Entrance off Lakeshore Road
• Anyone entering the hospital will be provided with a face mask and will go through active screening to test for COVID symptoms
• You are required to practice physical distancing and to sanitize your hands using the dispensers located throughout the hospital
• If you leave the hospital and plan to return the same day, you will be screened again
• We are currently closed to visitors with limited exceptions – please review our visitor policy

More Information

• For more information about what we are doing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, please go to www.josephbranthospital.ca/COVID-19