Transitioning an ER to Urgent Care

These days, when Marcia Ladouceur, Clinical Manager for Welland and Port Colborne Emergency Departments, goes anywhere, she expects a bevy of questions about what’s happening at Port Colborne Site.

“I’m getting questions at work, when I get groceries, when I go to church – in fact, just about everywhere,” says Marcia, Port Colborne native and current resident. “I know the public is concerned about the changes happening.”

Marcia is the lead on the conversion of the Port Colborne ER to a 24/7 Urgent Care Centre, slated for this July. The exact date will be confirmed when all the details are worked out.

Marcia and her staff are on a mission to create the best Urgent Care Centre possible. Since late April, she has been speaking to local service agencies and business groups to allay fears and uncertainty.

“I am conveying the message that the same nurses and doctors in the ER have emergency training, and that same staff will continue to provide care after the name of the departmentchanges. Even though the Urgent Care Centre will be mainly for cases that aren’t an emergency, our staff will be able to handle any case that comes in the door.”

“Our focus now is on educating the public about when to call 911, when to go to a full-service ER, when to go to the Urgent Care Centre, and when a trip to the family doctor is the right choice,” Marcia says. “We held a Public Info Session June 16 in Wainfleet. We’re holding another session June 25 at the Port Colborne Guild Hall and a third one July 15 at Douglas Memorial Site in Fort Erie, to educate that community about its transition to Urgent Care in September.”

Also part of the multi-pronged communications plan by the NHS are ads in Niagara’s daily newspapers this month, thanks to generous sponsorship by Sun Media.

“Our website at www.niagarahealth.on.ca has a new section providing lots of information on the difference between ER and Urgent Care and we’re also finalizing a brochure which will be distributed to all Port Colborne and Wainfleet households, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, etc., in early July. We want people to post our brochure on their fridge and keep the clip-out info card in their wallet or purse.”