Queensway Carleton Hospital expanding Fairfield unit to address 105 per cent capacity

To further increase capacity, the Queensway Carleton Hospital says it will be expanding its offside Fairfield unit.

According to an announcement by the hospital on Wednesday, the hospital will open an additional floor on January 28.

The second floor is a way for the hospital to respond to the needs during Ottawa’s pandemic response.

It had already opened 28 beds at Fairfield last April, and an additional 20 temporary beds inside the hospital.

QCH is currently running at 105 per cent capacity, and by adding these additional beds, patients will have access to inpatient beds and limit the need for them to spend more time in the emergency department, the hospital says.

“Expanding bed capacity at Fairfield allows our main site to maintain acute care services,” Dr. Robert Nichols, Chief of Geriatrics, said. “We have specific criteria to ensure patient care needs can be to meet at Fairfield, with a focus on limiting their exposure to COVID patients, keeping them safe and cared for.”

The expansion is also expected to reduce the number of surgeries that may require cancellation because of lack of inpatient beds.

The hospital says the off-sit unit is design or “alternate level of care” patients — those whose acute care needs have been met, but who cannot return home for any reason.

Fairfield has had NO patients test positive (a 0% infection rate) for COVID-19 since opening last April,” Fairfield Site Manager, Kim Schrader said.

On average, most patients who are admitted to Fairfield stay for about 94 days.

Four patients who were admitted during the first two days of the unit opening are still receiving care there, over 250 days later.

Since the unit opened, it has provided care to over 20 patients, totalling 5,666 patient days.