Headwaters Health Care Centre Introduces Patient Transportation Policy

Orangeville, ON, August 11, 2009 – Going home form the hospital is a much-anticipated moment. Headwaters Health Care Centre has launched a new patient transportation policy to make the transition home as comfortable as possible. A discharge planner or nurse will meet with the patient while they are still in the hospital to discuss their discharge plan. "Taking the stress out of going home allows the patient to concentrate on a successful recovery," says Catherine Kurz, Discharge Planner, Headwaters Health Care Centre.

Under the new patient transportation policy, patients who have appointments not related to their inpatient medical treatment and patients who are being discharged will be responsible for their transportation. “We are fortunate to have a strong network of community support services in the area,” says Cholly Boland, President and CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre. Through Caledon Community Services and Dufferin County Community Support Services, residents have access to transportation services. Canes Community Care offers transportation through Home at Last, a free program that assists seniors discharged from hospital to get settled at home.

If the patient can ride in a vehicle, friends and family can drive them to a scheduled appointment not related to their inpatient care or take them home after discharge. If a patient requires transportation assistance, the hospital can provide a list of local patient transfer companies (www.headwatershealth.ca), for which the patient will be billed directly.

“Staff have training for making and receiving calls regarding the transfer of patients,” says Boland. Critically ill patients receiving care at another facility will be transferred by ambulance service. The hospital will contract patient transportation services to transfer medically stable patients between facilities when related to their inpatient hospital care. Headwaters works with regional centres to arrange to return our patients to Headwaters, their “home” hospital, after surgery to receive the care they need, close to home with friends and family.

The public is invited to provide comments and suggestions about hospital services. Please contact Cholly Boland, President and CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre at 519-941-2702 ext. 2200.

About Headwaters Health Care Centre
Headwaters Health Care Centre serves more than 110,000 residents in Caledon, Orangeville, Shelburne and Dufferin County. The hospital operates two sites – Headwaters Orangeville, a 108 bed acute care hospital and Headwaters Shelburne, a 33 bed chronic care hospital. Visit www.headwatershealth.ca.

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