Changes at Ridge Meadows Hospital have streamlined treatment for patients visiting emergency, and for children who need to access the pediatrics ward.
Dr. Don Kim, who heads the emergency department, said there used to be unacceptably long waits in the emergency ward. The most critical patients – those suffering from heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening health problems – would be at the front of the line. That used to mean people with breaks, sprains, cuts requiring stitches or pain relief would be forced to wait at the end of the line, often for hours. Some would eventually leave untreated, said Kim.
“Once we opened RAZ, the impact was quite tremendous,” he said Wednesday at an event to show the changed facility to members of the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation, key donors and guests.
Physically, the new Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) is an area with reclining chairs in which patients can be treated expediently, without having to be admitted. In the past, they would be “competing” for acute care beds with sicker patients, explained Kim. Now, patients with less critical injuries can be treated in the RAZ without having to be admitted. There is an extra physician available for the RAZ unit, when necessary.
Kim has worked at the hospital for 17 years and said the RAZ is the most significant development in emergency care there since the ward first opened, because waiting times dropped immediately.
Other hospitals in Fraser Health have RAZ units, but not all.
There is also a new pediatric observation unit at Ridge Meadows Hospitals, which has been operational for 15 weeks. It allows streamlined care for children coming to hospital.
Tristan Lahti, 11, talked about how the new unit has changed his hospital visits. He has a hereditary blood disorder, and he’s had his spleen removed. He now has a compromised immune system that can’t fight off bacterial infections, so he is a regular hospital patient.
“When I get sick, I’m scared to tell my mom, because I know I’ll have to get an IV,” he explained.
His mother Laurie explained how streamlined their hospital visits have become – now that he is able to go straight to the new pediatric observation unit, where he can play on the Wii console game, and wait for a blood test and an IV.
“I really like the new way better – we went straight upstairs and the nurses had a room ready,” said Tristan. “The nurses are nice too, and they know how to take care of kids.”
He thanked the Starlight foundation for the Wii and other toys.
Laurie said there was even a new cot in Tristan’s room for her to stay on, “Which made a huge difference to me. Having a good night’s sleep is the best thing.”
Dr. John Archer, head of pediatrics, said the new process is innovative, and unique in the province, if not the country. It gets kids out of the emergency ward, and also avoids having them transferred to other hospitals.
“Treat them timely, and get them home,” is the new mantra.
In 15 weeks, 603 patients have benefitted from the rejuvenated pediatric service.
“I see us as having a mini Children’s Hospital,” said Ron Antalek, chairman of the hospital foundation. “All these stories inspire us to want to have a better hospital.”