CHEO suspends virtual visits to its Emergency Department

Dec. 1, 2021 — OTTAWA — Today, CHEO has had to suspend offering virtual visits to its Emergency Department for at least 90 days, to keep up with an increased demand for in-person services and reduce the department’s wait times.

This suspension allows CHEO to reassign much-needed staff from virtual care to providing in-person support to kids and families who are coming to our Emergency Department.

Our Emergency team always prioritizes the sickest patients first. Providing safe, timely and effective care for children and youth in the region is our top priority.

CHEO, the region’s only pediatric hospital and research centre, has seen an extraordinary demand for in-person urgent care services, starting with record months in the summer. This has continued and, in October, CHEO’s Emergency Department cared for more than 7,100 children and youth in person, a 68% increase compared to October 2020 and higher than a typical month in peak viral season, which usually runs from December to April.

Accessing care in the community

Responding to this surge in demand is a community effort.

“We are grateful for the important work being done by family doctors, health providers and pediatricians in the community to support the region’s kids and families throughout this pandemic,” said Lindy Samson, CHEO’s Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer. “CHEO will continue to work with and support our community partners, so they are able to provide timely, safe and accessible care to the children, youth and families they see in their practices.”

Visit our Where to go: alternatives to the Emergency Department page to learn more about community care in our region, including COVID-19 care clinics for children and youth with new respiratory illness symptoms.

CHEO is committed to virtual care

We know how valuable virtual care is for kids and families. CHEO remains committed to offering virtual care options, including for many outpatient clinic visits, follow-up appointments and group therapy.

CHEO is proud to have been the first Canadian pediatric health-care centre to have offered virtual emergency care, and looks forward to being able to resume our pioneering virtual Emergency Department visits.

- 30 -

Media contact

media@cheo.on.ca

About CHEO

Dedicated to the best life for every child and youth, CHEO is a global leader in pediatric health care and research. Based in Ottawa, CHEO includes a hospital, children’s treatment centre, school and research institute, with satellite services located throughout Eastern Ontario. CHEO provides excellence in complex pediatric care, research and education. We are committed to partnering with families and the community to provide exceptional care — where, when and how it’s needed. CHEO is a partner of the Kids Come First Health Team, a network of partners in Eastern Ontario working to create a high quality, standardized and coordinated system for pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Every year, CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.