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Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/health-patient-transfers-ontario-hospitals-pandemic-1.5962460
Hundreds of ICU patients transferred between Ontario hospitals as COVID-19 admissions rise
Nearly 600 critical care patients transported around province since Dec. 1, data shows
Lauren Pelley ? CBC News ? Posted: Mar 25, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: March 25
For Toronto critical care physician Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, nearly every workday involves sending a handful of COVID-19 patients to other intensive care units.
Sometimes that means transferring those critically ill patients to other sites in the GTA. On other occasions, it means sending them as far away as Hamilton or London, Ont.
And while the raw numbers seem small, the Humber River Hospital clinician said these transfers add up to a "significant" number of patients ? all to ensure the 48-bed unit in a hospital located in one of Toronto's hardest-hit areas doesn't become overwhelmed.
"We're probably getting one to five patients a day on average with COVID. It's manageable, but if it goes beyond five to ten patients, or even 15 patients and we're admitting patients to the ICU every day, that's obviously not a sustainable model," Spiegelman explained, adding his unit has been running at close to full capacity for months.
"We're all concerned that we don't have enough resources if it does explode."
Transfers on the rise
Patient transfers are routine across Ontario's entire hospital network, but intensive care physicians who spoke to CBC News stressed the practice recently became more common to ensure hospital sites don't become overwhelmed as admissions keep rising...
Hundreds of ICU patients transferred between Ontario hospitals as COVID-19 admissions rise
Nearly 600 critical care patients transported around province since Dec. 1, data shows
Lauren Pelley ? CBC News ? Posted: Mar 25, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: March 25
For Toronto critical care physician Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, nearly every workday involves sending a handful of COVID-19 patients to other intensive care units.
Sometimes that means transferring those critically ill patients to other sites in the GTA. On other occasions, it means sending them as far away as Hamilton or London, Ont.
And while the raw numbers seem small, the Humber River Hospital clinician said these transfers add up to a "significant" number of patients ? all to ensure the 48-bed unit in a hospital located in one of Toronto's hardest-hit areas doesn't become overwhelmed.
"We're probably getting one to five patients a day on average with COVID. It's manageable, but if it goes beyond five to ten patients, or even 15 patients and we're admitting patients to the ICU every day, that's obviously not a sustainable model," Spiegelman explained, adding his unit has been running at close to full capacity for months.
"We're all concerned that we don't have enough resources if it does explode."
Transfers on the rise
Patient transfers are routine across Ontario's entire hospital network, but intensive care physicians who spoke to CBC News stressed the practice recently became more common to ensure hospital sites don't become overwhelmed as admissions keep rising...