New urgent care centre opens in Barrhaven, Facility will serve rural Ottawa south residents without needing an ER

Posted Sep 13, 2012 By EMC News

EMC news - A new urgent care centre opened on Monday, Sept. 10, and will serve residents in Barrhaven, Manotick, Stittsville and Kanata.

Rideau Valley Health Services is located at 1221 Greenbank Road and will treat approximately 80 per cent of the ailments normally treated in a hospital emergency room, (ER), according to a statement.

Things like fractures, dislocations, sprains, cuts, infections and minor traumas can be treated at the new facility, which is staffed with registered nurses, emergency physicians and general practitioners.

The site is part of a larger health care satellite run by the Kemptville District Hospital, which used its financial leverage to build the facility "in response to the obvious need in the outlying communities of its service area," the statement said.

The new urgent care centre promises shorter wait times, according to the centre's administrator, Fred Casarramona.

"Nimble and cost effective to operate, urgent care centres offer quick and efficient one-stop service, taking the pressure off crowded ERs," the press release said./

For patients, this translates to a normal wait time of under one hour, rather than several hours./When operating at full capacity, the centre's nine urgent care exam rooms will treat as many as 200 patients daily.

The health complex on Greenbank also includes a new x-ray and ultrasound facility, not only to support the urgent care centre but also to provide a bonus to the local community as it allows area physicians to refer their patients to the centre for an x-ray or an ultrasound, the statement said.

The health centre also includes a number of specialist services, including surgeons specializing in colorectal procedures and adult hip and knee replacements.

An obstetrics and gynecology specialist is on site, as well as a general practitioner with a specialty in endocrinology and metabolism.

A diabetes education and support team provides individual and group support for patients with Type I and Type II diabetes.

A full service travel medicine clinic will operate on Wednesday evenings beginning Sept. 19.

The urgent care centre is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday opening hours will be announced later.