Windsor Regional Hospital says it is preparing for a surge of patients as the annual flu season gets underway.
It says an integrated system that tracks beds and resources every minute of the day should help keep wait times at a minimum and get patients admitted in a timely fashion.
In the past year, the hospital has implemented its "Command Centre" style approach to tracking each patient's journey through the emergency room to discharge. The system is supposed to reduce bottlenecks in the system.
"We are seeing results from our efforts to improve bed management and patient flow," said Chief Nursing Executive, Karen McCullough. "We are in a much better position to manage bed availability and patient flow."
Meanwhile, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is also preparing for the upcoming flu season by urging everyone to get a flu shot.
The flu shot is recommended for everyone over 6-months of age.
New this year, a free high-dose flu vaccine for those over the age of 65. It provides additional protection against the strains of flu that are most likely to cause illness this year.
Strains of the flu virus change every year, and a vaccine is developed annually to match identified strains.
Reactions to the vaccine are usually mild and may include redness, soreness, and swelling at the injection site.
Last year, 304 cases of influenza were confirmed by lab results, and the virus caused eight deaths in Windsor-Essex.
"The flu vaccine usually takes up to two weeks to work, so it is highly recommended to get the vaccine early, at the beginning of the flu season," said Medical Officer of Health, Dr Wajid Ahmed.
The health unit will offer a public influenza drop-in clinic on Friday, November 16 at the University of Windsor CAW Student Centre from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
