Emergency Department Renovation Improvement Project Progress
Brantford, ON – The renovation project to improve the Emergency Department (ED) at the Brantford General Hospital (BGH) started one year ago, August 2023. To facilitate early renovation works, Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS) in collaboration with the City of Brantford temporarily closed Terrace Hill Street from St. Paul Avenue to Elizabeth Street on Monday, October 16, 2023. While the renovation project continues, the outside work, which required the street closure, is now complete and the street will re-open on Monday, September 9th at 7:00 am. The A-Wing continues to be the public entrance to the ED until the new patient walk-in entrance opens in early Fall. We will provide a confirmed date once we have that information.
“Thank you to residents, hospital patients and visitors, and our entire hospital team for your co-operation over the past eleven months as we navigated the road closure,” said Bonnie Camm, President and CEO, BCHS. “We know it was very inconvenient for everyone and your support during that time enabled us to get critical outside work done related to our ambulance off-load area and installing a new ED patient door.”
“Our doctors, staff and volunteers continue to be ready to assist residents who need emergency care,” noted Dr. Somaiah Ahmed, Chief & Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, BCHS. “The first phases of the renovations are now completed including the relocation of our ED patient entrance.”
During the next phase, which began this past Spring, a new Ambulatory Assessment Area is being built and will be completed in Spring 2025. The new care area is an opportunity to upgrade the space with a focus on providing more comfortable and private care spaces for patients, where conversations are not overheard by people and enables improved access for those requiring emergency care. The Assessment Area will be linked to the rest of the department, and directly attached to the main waiting room.
Dr. Ahmed noted that “the connection back to the main department through the waiting room will allow patients to understand that it’s all one care area and recognize numerous patients are being treated, which can support a better understanding of the level of activity within the emergency department.”
The new Assessment space, when completed, will include: six single patient treatment rooms, six treatment chairs/recliners, and one treatment room for minor procedures.
As a result of the construction, there will be more appropriate spaces for people who have disabilities to better access without any perceived burdens. A dedicated space for young patients that’s more private and kid-friendly will help provide a level of comfort for those individuals who may have heightened fears. New equipment and furnishings being purchased includes improved stretchers enabling patients to more easily get on and off exam tables, and new and more comfortable seating in the waiting room.
The ED renovations are being done in nine phases to ensure the busy ED can continue to provide emergency care to residents. The renovations will continue over the next 2.5 years. Over 50,000 people attend the ED annually to receive care. Patients and visitors to BGH are asked to follow the signage posted in and around the hospital for their safety during the construction.
The hospital’s main entrance continues to be through the D-Wing located by the hospital parking garage off of Elizabeth Street. Non-emergency patients and visitors are asked to use this entrance.
With support from generous donors, the BCHS Foundation has raised over $7 million to date to meet both provincial funding requirements and to purchase essential medical equipment for the ED.
Information about the ED renovation improvement project is available on the hospital’s Reimagine BCHS website or by contacting: reimagine.bchs@bchsys.org.
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