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CHEO has launched a program designed not only to support families after their child returns home from hospital, but also to help ease pressure on CHEO’s busy Emergency Department (ED).
The Inpatient Medicine Discharge Program, delivered by CHEO’s Home and Community Care Rapid Response Nurses, offers timely follow‑up care that can prevent unnecessary ED return visits — one of the biggest contributors to emergency‑department strain.
This dedicated team of six nurses and one nurse practitioner calls families within one to two days of discharge to review instructions, answer questions and help caregivers navigate the common “caregiver anxiety” that can follow a hospital stay.
The nurses assess symptoms over the phone, decide whether the child needs an at‑home follow‑up visit, determine if they should see a primary care provider, or, only when truly necessary, return to CHEO.
For many families, including those living in rural areas or facing barriers to access, these calls act as a safety net that can keep them from making an avoidable trip back to the ED.
Sylvia Quinn, who lives 40 minutes away in Metcalfe, experienced the program’s impact firsthand. Her daughter Haisley, not yet two, had been admitted to CHEO with severe croup after struggling to breathe. Though she improved and was discharged, symptoms lingered, and her parents were unsure what to do.
That’s when rapid response nurse Jodi Ouellette called. After listening closely and weighing the situation, Ouellette made the clinical decision to visit the family at home. She confirmed that Haisley’s lungs were clear, her fever had resolved, and her condition was improving.
This reassurance spared the family another stressful long drive and prevented an unnecessary return to the emergency department.
“It’s a game changer,” Quinn said. “This is such a good idea, and such a good program. I cannot say anything but amazing things about our experience.”
Nurses call dozens of families each week and they identify situations where a child truly does need to return, which helps nurses streamline readmission and lighten the ED’s triage load. In other cases, timely guidance or an at‑home visit has prevented a return entirely.
The program also supports families with more complex caregiving needs, including medical equipment like feeding tubes. Families often leave the hospital too tired or overwhelmed to fully absorb discharge instructions. A follow‑up call — paired with the option of a home visit — helps close that gap.
Importantly, the program strengthens CHEO’s commitment to integrated,
community‑based care, building connections with rural services, well‑baby programs, and supports for families without a primary care provider.
By extending care beyond hospital walls, CHEO is reducing unnecessary ED visits while giving families the confidence and tools they need to manage their child’s recovery at home.