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.
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.
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. 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 factors such as prevalence of
COVID-19 in our community and surrounding area.
At this time, PSFDH has cautiously increased approved
visitations. Any individual seeking to visit a patient in the hospital
must contact the care area where the patient is located to set up visitation 24
hours in advance, where possible. There are restrictions on hours, lengths, and
the number of visitors permitted on each unit at one time. Contact
information for the hospital may be found here.
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
We understand also that you may want to
deliver items in lieu of a visit. Unfortunately, PSFDH staff are only be
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. This is to keep your
loved ones and the staff safe.
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
Walking Aids
CPAP Machines
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.
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.
Scheduled Surgery and Procedures
To support the needed hospital capacity and health care professionals in addressing the current surge in COVID-19, the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued a directive to postpone non-emergent and non-urgent surgery and procedures effective immediately. Patients who are affected will be contacted directly by their physician or the hospital.
Please note that urgent, emergent and cancer surgeries and procedures are not affected by this order and will continue.
In addition, outpatient clinics and diagnostic testing will continue at this time.
As always, Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital is here for you and the Emergency Departments at the Smiths Falls Site and Perth Site remain open and available 24hrs/7days a week and ready to care for patients with serious health concerns.
If you have any questions regarding an upcoming procedure, please contact your physician.
To support the needed capacity, hospitals must maintain the flexibility to ramp down if there is an upward trend in COVID-19 activity in their region.
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:
COVID-19 testing continues to be done by
appointment only. For an appointment, please call 613-283-2330 ext. 1401 and leave one
only 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. The Emergency entrance screening
desk does not have access to your results.
Please note that effective
June 14, 2021, the CAC has new hours of operating:
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: