Officials at Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare are celebrating the Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre's first anniversary.
A year ago, the hospital expanded services at the MHAUCC to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Officials say the expansion's impact has been significant. Between July 2025 and last month, the centre recorded 4,222 visits. Of those, there were 713 addictions consults and 1,184 psychiatric consultations. Most significantly, 1,145 of the total visits were between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., underscoring the demand for overnight services.
During the same time, the centre saw 192 drop-offs from paramedics or police officers, a sign of strong collaboration across emergency services to ensure clients receive the most appropriate care. There were also 720 referrals from local emergency departments.
A total of 479 clients were connected to Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare's Withdrawal Management Services program.
"The expansion of the Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Care Centre to 24/7 operations was driven by a simple but critical belief: that mental health and addictions crises don't follow a schedule, and neither should access to care," said HDGH CEO and President Bill Marra.
Individuals who go to the centre are quickly connected to a multidisciplinary team of experts, including nurses, social workers, addictions counsellors, and psychiatric care.
