Emergency Department Program What we do The Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH) Emergency Department (ED) is part of a regional network in Windsor Essex County. The LDMH Emergency Program provides a range of services to meet emergency health care needs in the South Essex communities. The LDMH ED provides emergency care for patients who are seriously ill or injured, or who are suffering from a life-threatening condition and who are unable to wait to be seen by their family physician. People with troublesome chest pains, signs of stroke or severe breathing difficulties should call 911 for immediate care. At LDMH ED we see approximately 30,000 patients per year with a variety of illnesses, injuries and complaints.
Transfer of Care It is important to know that we are able to initially assess the needs of all patients that arrive through our doors. Should a patient require care beyond the abilities of our Department & Hospital, the appropriate consultation process will be followed and the transfer of patient care will occur. This may occur in a number of different ways; a follow up appointment with a specialist or fracture clinic or an ambulance transfer to the most appropriate hospital where the receiving specialist will take over care.
Emergency Department Team at LDMH Our Emergency Department is staffed 24 hours/day 365 days/year with an arrangement of physicians, nurse practitioners, nursing staff and unit clerks. This group of health care professionals is specially trained in the delivery of emergency care. The Nurse Practitioners (NP) run a “fast track clinic” that sees patients who would normally be seen in a doctor’s office, available 7 days a week during business hours.
What can you expect when in the Emergency Department When you arrive in the Emergency Department, you will be welcomed by a triage nurse. The triage process uses Ontario-wide guidelines to decide how quickly you need treatment. These guidelines are based on a history of your illness and a short physical assessment. Due to the unpredictable needs of our patients, we cannot give you an accurate predicted time for when you will be seen. This is because the ED 31