On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, the North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (NGCAC) in Kemptville will be transitioning to a full assessment and treatment centre while also changing its hours to 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for added convenience.

As a full assessment and treatment centre, the NGCAC will provide assessment by a physician, testing, and treatment for respiratory illness, if required. Patients will be able to access the centre on their own if they meet provincial eligibility requirements, and can also be directed there by their family doctor’s office.

The NGCAC will continue to be open Monday to Friday but is changing its hours from 7 am – 3 pm to 9 am – 5 pm so that it will be able to see more patients. By taking into account family doctors’ office hours, the centre will be able to accommodate patients directed there by their family doctor’s office on the same day. Extending the hours to 5 pm also makes it easier for people coming to Kemptville from Ottawa and the surrounding area to be tested.

“The ability to offer treatment for suspected COVID-19 patients in addition to assessment was always part of the plan,” said the NGCAC’s clinical lead, Dr. Suzanne Rutherford.

Dr. Rutherford is a family physician at Rideau Crossing Family Health Centre in Kemptville and the driving force behind the NGCAC. She has been working closely with her co-lead, Frank Vassallo, the CEO of Kemptville District Hospital (KDH), as well as the other partners in the community-based collaboration: the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, the Municipality of North Grenville, and the Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service.

“I believe we need this treatment service now more than ever as the new school screening guidelines weigh heavily on ‘speak to your healthcare practitioner’ to direct them on whether a test is needed or not,” added Dr. Rutherford.

“Furthermore, adding this service to the NGCAC will help ensure that people get the treatment they need for respiratory illness, while helping keep Emergency Departments available for other emergencies,” she explained.

The NGCAC opened on September 24, 2020 and has been operating very efficiently, according to Vassallo. “With our appointment-based ‘time pass’ system, we are able to see a large volume of patients every day. The system was designed to effectively screen patients, manage capacity and provide safe and ethical access to testing. With our system, we also have the ability to scale up or down quickly by adjusting our hourly rate of patients tested depending on community demand, a localized outbreak and/or Ministry guidance.”

On behalf of all the partners, Vassallo expressed thanks to the KDH Foundation, which has purchased the equipment necessary for the transition to a full assessment and treatment centre. “This speaks to the generosity of the North Grenville community, which continues to show its support through the KDH Foundation for healthcare workers in their ongoing fight against COVID-19,” he said.

“The Assessment and Treatment Centre will provide increased capacity in our community in response to potential exposure of COVID-19, and we thank all those who have gone above and beyond to make this centre a reality,” said North Grenville Mayor Nancy Peckford.

Fast Facts about the North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre

• Location: 15 Campus Drive (Bell Hall on the Kemptville Campus), Kemptville, ON
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm beginning October 7, 2020
• Who can be tested:  Provincial guidance released September 24, 2020 states that people in Ontario should only seek testing at assessment centres if they: are showing COVID-19 symptoms; have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by their public health unit or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app; are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by their local public health unit; and are eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care. For details visit covid-19.ontario.ca
• How it works:  visit the KDH COVID-19 Assessment Centre.

About the North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre

The North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre is a community-based collaboration of five partners: Rideau Crossing Family Health Centre; the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit; the Municipality of North Grenville; Leeds Grenville Paramedic Service; and Kemptville District Hospital. The Assessment Centre is located at 15 Campus Drive (Bell Hall on the Kemptville Campus) in Kemptville, Ontario. The Centre is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm beginning October 5, 2020. The partners designed the centre to be as efficient as possible, to minimize wait times for patients and families, and to minimize disruption on the Kemptville Campus, which is home to several schools and other organizations.

For further information contact:
Jenny Read, Communications Officer
Kemptville District Hospital
O: 613.258.6133 x 223 | C: 613.914.0195
Email: jread@kdh.on.ca