Now and the Future
Now and the Future
Part 2, The Inpatient Unit – 2 South
By Peggy Payne, PECMHF vice chairperson
There are nearly 20,000 visits to the Emergency Department (ED) at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) annually - many of these visits by County residents in need of care. While the ED is the most frequented area in terms of numbers, there is equally remarkable care extended upstairs on the second level of the hospital. You may have been on the second level for an endoscopy or to visit a family member or friend admitted to the Inpatient Unit (IPU). If you have been in the Inpatient Unit, hopefully, you have had the good fortune to meet some of the people who work there. As a small community hospital, the team strives to give the best care possible and aims to meet healthcare needs with the resources available.
The inpatient unit is operated by an interdisciplinary team consisting of various healthcare professionals, including nurses, personal support workers, unit clerks, therapy staff (occupational, physio, recreational, or speech therapists), physicians, a physician assistant, a patient flow coordinator, along with dietary and housekeeping staff. The team also includes maintenance and information technology staff, who ensure that our building, computers, and equipment are up to par. The recreational therapist organizes activities, games, and visiting musicians for patients.
The hospital is funded for 18 beds with the ability to surge to 23 beds. With the increased need for care across all hospital services, PECMH is consistently at its maximum surge capacity. As has always been the case since the hospital was built, over 50% of the patients are over 65. The summer brings many visitors to The County and our County hospital, as it always has.

There are private and semi-private rooms. There were four-bed wards when the hospital was built, but those were changed to meet privacy and improve infection control measures. Washrooms and showers have been added as well. The private rooms are reserved for patients who need isolation, sometimes due to a respiratory infection, a drug-resistant infection or considerable cognitive decline. Most of the private rooms have self-contained bathrooms. The semi-private rooms have wash basins with other shared facilities in the hallway. Where possible, patients are assigned to a semi-private room with a patient of the same gender.
Currently, for the safety of patients who might wander, there exists a bracelet provision which signals exit doors and elevators to double down on safety.
How long do admitted patients stay in PECMH?
The average length of stay for patients admitted to the inpatient unit tends to be approximately 4-5 days, depending on the severity of the patient’s condition. Acute conditions that can be treated successfully in a week might mean a stay of six days. Longer than that usually means that a patient has a hard-to-treat condition or requires an alternate level of care after the medical reason for admission has been resolved. For those complex situations, the patient flow coordinator collaborates with the care team, including Ontario Health Home and Community Care, to support a safe transition back to where the patient lives.
What to expect in the new build.
The hospital staff are very excited about the future. The in-patient rooms will all be private rooms with self-contained washrooms. They will have adequate space, improving the ergonomic needs of the patients and the care team, improved natural lighting and state-of-the-art equipment supporting the needs of the admitted patient. The rooms will be designed to be more accessible to patients, including patients with disabilities, improved infection control measures, etc. There will be new features in the hallway, such as a kitchenette, which patients and families can access. There will be a physio room and a model bathroom so that a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can assess what patients can manage safely before returning home.
One of the monumental changes will be the addition of a new CT scanner.
The addition of CT scanner services at PECMH will ensure efficient diagnostic imaging, such as a serious fall or injury of the head. Imaging is necessary to rule out a more serious condition, such as a brain bleed or something requiring surgery. Presently, a patient presenting with a serious fall might be transferred to Belleville or Trenton Hospital for CT imaging. This causes a wait for the transfer, a wait for the scan, and a wait for the diagnosis. You get the idea. Such valuable treatment time is presently taken up during the transfer process. And that is just one example of a situation where a CT scan close to home is so valuable.
Another feature of the new hospital is an enlarged nursing station for the inpatient area. This will give nursing staff faster access to computers, charts, and medication and ensure timely responses to patient calls. The new rooms will ensure more privacy while staff provide care—no more worries about what is happening on the other side of the curtain.
The new mass timber building will be spacious, beautiful, and have lots of natural light. The geothermal capability will enhance sustainability and efficiencies throughout. Even the Wi-Fi will have greater range and reliability. All these new features will mean that the patients and the staff who care for them will have enormous benefits in the healing journey of a hospital stay.
For information about our hospital or to donate, call 613-476-1008 ext. 4425 or visit our website at www.pecmhf.ca.
