Be prepared – know your health care options this season
Headwaters Health Care Centre and Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team have partnered to provide the community with a list of the multiple care options available when seeking non-emergency and emergency care.
“Due to the prevalence of respiratory illnesses like flu, colds, RSV and COVID, we are seeing much higher volumes in emergency department visits when compared with previous years,” says Kim Delahunt, President & CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre. “At the moment, COVID-19, pneumonia and congestive heart failure are the most common diagnoses.”
“There are precautions we can all take to protect our health during the holidays, like getting prescriptions filled in advance,” says Tracy Coffin, Executive Director, Hills of Headwaters Collaborative. “However, illness and injuries happen. That’s why we’ve partnered with the hospital to help the community make informed choices about where to go when seeking non-emergency and emergency care. We’ve pulled together a comprehensive list of the many options available for health care. We’ve posted the information on our websites and are also distributing printed posters throughout the community for those who may not have access to the internet. This can help redirect people from the Emergency Department to receive the right care in the right place at the right time.”
Those with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries have many options to choose from, starting with their family doctor. If this is not possible, consider visiting your pharmacist, calling Health Connect Ontario at 811, visiting a walk-in clinic or accessing virtual urgent care, available seven days a week via the William Osler Health System. Urgent Care is available at Peel Memorial in Brampton, 24/7.
For emergency care, the emergency department at Headwaters Health Care Centre (HHCC) is available 24 hours a day, every day, to treat serious injuries or conditions.
“We are fortunate to have a hospital in our community that is equipped to assess, treat, stabilize and start the health management of people who have come to the emergency department with a serious illness or injury,” says Delahunt. “This includes chest pain or abdominal pain; shortness of breath; internal bleeding; numbness or weakness in arms or hands; major trauma; mental health concerns; infants less than three months old with a fever; pregnancy-related emergencies, or seizures or stroke symptoms. This is not an exhaustive list. For immediate life-threatening conditions or injuries call 911.”
The holiday season is also a time we see an increased need for mental health support services. If you are in a mental health crisis, please call the 24/7 Crisis Support Peel Dufferin at 905-278-9036 or 1-888-811-2222. If you need emergency services, call 911.
For more information, visit headwatershealth.ca/WhereToGo.
Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team is supported by funding from the Government of Ontario.
