We're Here for You
COVID-19 Information for Our Patients & Visitors
We want to assure you that there is a dedicated team of professionals at our hospital who have the passion, expertise, and focus to care for our communities. Our goal is to care for the sick, keep our workforce healthy, and prevent the spread of COVID-19 across our hospitals. We are following the guidance from our local Public Health officials and directives from the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
For more information, please review the Frequently Asked Questions.
Coming to Our Hospitals
The primary entry point is located at the Emergency Department entrance at both the Smiths Falls and GWM sites. It is open 24 hours per day/7 days per week.
Perth (GWM) Site*:
A second entry point for patients has been opened at the GWM site in Perth at the Main Entrance on Drummond Street. It is accessible Monday to Friday from 7 am to 4 pm. The entrance is not accessible after 4 p.m. or on weekends.
Smiths Falls Site*:
Patients in Smiths Falls will continue to use the Emergency entrance.
*Please note that these are drop off and pick up areas only. For safety reasons, parking or extended waiting in a drop off/pick-up area is NOT permitted.
Visitors to PSFDH
The Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital regularly reviews its COVID-19 related policies and changes are based on factors such as prevalence of COVID-19 in our community and surrounding area.
Effective immediately, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our patients and healthcare workers, PSFDH is restricting non-essential visitations.
Virtual visits continue to be encouraged and welcomed. Patients and families can connect online using their personal communication devices (phone, tablet, etc.) at a time that may be more suitable. You can also send an online greeting an inpatient via the PSFDH website: /sendgreetings.
Exceptions will be made for compassionate and palliative patient situations. These visits will require pre-approval. Any individual seeking to visit a patient in the hospital must contact the care area where the patient is located to determine if a visit may be approved. Contact information for the hospital may be found here.
- Approved visitors still must pass screening. Please remember that loved ones who are staying at the hospital are receiving 24 hours of care, seven days a week by nurses, physicians, allied health members and supportive staff members. If you have an approved visitor, please choose one who is fully vaccinated.
- Parents/guardians may continue to attend Emergency with their children/youth.
- Persons seeking medical care are encouraged to attend alone, unless a support person is critical to your visit (example, cogitative or mobility issues, a child/youth). This will help minimize crowding in our waiting areas. If you require a support person, please choose one who is fully vaccinated.
- In the Emergency department, the triage nurse will assess and determine the need for any accompanying support person.
Our Emergency Departments remain open and ready to support your medical needs.
We appreciate that this is a difficult time for everyone and we sincerely thank you for your ongoing patience, understanding and adherence to our guidelines. These guidelines are essential to help us protect the hospital, our patients and our community. We continue to monitor the evolving situation and change our policies as the hospital continues to implement a carefully thought out and measured approach focusing on safety and quality of care.
We know that you may want to deliver items in lieu of a visit. Unfortunately, PSFDH staff are only able to assist with distributing essential items and not able to accept non-essential items or gifts or flower deliveries. Please note that the items brought to your loved one must be "wipeable" to support our stringent infection control practices.
Essential
items include,
Glasses
Hearing aids, Hearing Aid Batteries
Dentures, Denture Adhesive, Denture Cleaner
Medications
Shoes for rehabilitation and Socks
Clothes on the day of discharge (no earlier)
Communication device such as iPad, tablet, laptop, cell phone or similar (items that staff can wipe down) [Don’t forget the charging cord]. PSFDH has WIFI connection for the patients to use.
Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Shampoo
Robe, Under Garments- bra and underwear
Electric Shaver
Pen
Comb or Brush
CPAP Machines
Walking Aids
- Food for individual patient in wipeable/disposable container clearly indicating the date prepared and patient's name
How
you can drop off essential items:
- Items are to be brought to the appropriate site via the Emergency Department – staff at the screening desk will have an approved drop off list that they will use to decide whether your items are allowed. Please note: this list is created by management and the screening desk only follows what management has guided.
Essential items must be placed in a plastic bag.
Please label the bag with the recipient’s name clearly legible.
If known, provide your loved one’s room number.
Obstetrical/Birthing Unit (Labour and Delivery)
Support Person – Required to pass screening
- One identified support
person can stay with the patient throughout triage, labour and delivery (including
Operating Room as needed). See FAQs
at top of page.
- Entry and re-entry to
hospital will be limited to essential reasons.
Visitor
(second support person, such as a doula) – Required to pass screening and show
proof of full vaccination (completed at least 14 days prior to date of
attending.)
One distinct vaccinated visitor can be
identified by the patient, in addition to the primary support person, during
labour and delivery:
No exchanges.
- No children under age 18
- Approved by the Obstetrician
- Can only come in when
patient has been admitted to the Birth Unit
- Must leave when patient is
in the post-partum phase of their stay in hospital (see post-partum
visitation below)
- May not enter the Operating
Room or the Recovery Room in the case of a C-section.
Birthing
Unit (Post-partum)
- The support person
identified in labour can stay 24 hours a day with patient until discharge. If the support person is not vaccinated,
they MUST leave the premises and/or be switched with a vaccinated person
after the patient delivers.
- One additional vaccinated visitor
per day can be arranged up to 24 hours in advance, where possible
- The vaccinated visitor may
to stay up to 1 hour and will be booked between the hours of 1100-1500
(11:00-3:00) or 1700-2100 (5:00-9:00) with the OBS nurses
- The area of visiting is
limited to the patient room
To
encourage safe social distancing practices, walking in the hallways or
inpatient care areas is not permitted and movement in the hospital should be
limited.
We appreciate that this is a difficult time for everyone and we
sincerely thank you for your ongoing patience, understanding and adherence to
our guidelines. These guidelines are essential to help us protect the
hospital, our patients and our community. We continue to monitor the
evolving situation and change our policies as the hospital continues to
implement a carefully thought out and measured approach focusing on safety and
quality of care.
Helping a Patient to their Appointment
As we continue to open access to our hospital, PSFDH recognizes that there are times when a patient may wish to bring a support person to appointments in outpatient areas and services such as the Emergency Department, Diagnostic Imaging, Dialysis, Out-Patient Rehabilitation, Out-Patient operating room procedures and ambulatory care clinics. Please note that
all support persons must pass screening before entering the building and abide by hospital Infection Control practices. As a support person you will need to remain in the specific appointment area with the patient.
Scheduled Surgery and Procedures
What can you expect with the scheduling of your surgery or procedure?
- You will be contacted directly by your primary care provider and/or the hospital to discuss your procedure’s booking at which time you will be pre-screened for COVID-19
- You will be screened a second time when you enter the hospital through the Emergency Department Patient Entrance where you will be given a mask to wear and requested to wash your hands with hand sanitizer.
- You are then directed to registration where you will present your Health Card.
- You will be screened a third time while in the procedure’s waiting area.
- Mandatory physical distancing precautions are in place and are to be respected at all times. Waiting areas have been reconfigured to support these measures.
Our hospital is taking every possible measure to ensure patient and staff safety. People are reminded that if you require
urgent/emergent care, please go to your nearest Emergency Department or call 911.
COVID-19 Assessment Centre
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) is operated by PSFDH staff and Primary Healthcare Providers from our community and is located at 60 Cornelia Street West, Smiths Falls.
COVID-19 testing continues to be done by
appointment only.
- Booking:
- *NEW* ONLINE: PSFDH
COVID-19 Assessment Centre Online Booking
- CALL: 613-283-2330
ext. 1401 and leave only one message.
- The
message should clearly state your name, date of birth and a contact telephone
number.
- Our staff will return your call. You will receive direction on how to
access your results during testing.
Please note that the Emergency entrance screening desk does not have
access to your results.
The CAC hours of operation are:
Click here
for other area COVID-19 Assessment Centres.
Keep Informed
It is important you obtain up-to-date information from credible information sources. Helpful information is found at: