Campbellford Memorial Hospital boosts COVID testing efforts
By Cecilia Nasmith
As of Monday, Nov. 23, Campbellford Memorial Hospital will be stepping in to provide clerical and operational support to the Trent Hills COVID-19 Assessment Centre.
Up to this point, support has been provided by the Northumberland County Paramedics as well as the Trent Hills Family Health Team – which was instrumental in establishing the centre and co-ordinating the processes that included registering patients, sending specimens to the lab, providing follow-up instructions and completing daily reporting to the Ministry of Health.
A press release from the Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundaiton acknowledged the hard work and dedication of this community partner in ensuring this vital service was available.
“We would also like to extend thanks to the two walk-in clinics located in Campbellford, the MacLaren’s Pharmacy and Trent Hills Pharmacy, for assisting to communicating results to those who received COVID-19 swabs,” the announcement added.
“Campbellford Memorial Hospital is aiming to provide a seamless transition with as few changes as possible to existing services.”
As their staff return to their work in primary care, Trent Hills Family Health Team executive director Delayne Donald said, “It has been our honour to be involved in being instrumental in the implementation and running of the COVID-19 Testing Centre in Trent Hills.
“We wish to thank CMH and the Northumberland Paramedics for their continued support throughout this endeavour.
“A special thank-you also to the Rotary Club of Campbellford for allowing us to run the centre at their location throughout the summer.”
There are no changes in location, contact number or hours of operation for the Trent Hills Covid-19 Assessment Centre.
Located in the old paramedic bay at the Campbellford hospital, it will be open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Testing continues to be by appointment only, which you can arrange by calling (705) 395-1801.
Northumberland Paramedics will continue to provide staffing support to assess and swab those requiring a COVID-19 test, but results will be managed a bit differently – only individuals with a positive test result will be contacted by phone by a member of the Infection Control Team.
All individuals may check their results online at http://covid-19.ontario.ca/. A handout with this information will be provided to each person.
On days the assessment centre is not available, you may reach out to the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit at 1-866-888-4577, ext. 5020 or https://covid-19.ontario.ca/assessment-centre-locations
Amidst the transition, Campbellford Memorial Hospital would also like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that we are actively in wave 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases reported provincially each day are up over 1,000, and these cases are appearing closer to home with outbreaks announced in the Peterborough and Cobourg areas.
“We urge you to revisit your daily practices and ensure that you are taking all steps necessary to keep you, your loved ones and your community safe,” the bulletin urged.
These include keeping two metres (six feet) of space between yourself and others at all times, wearing a face covering wherever physical distancing is a challenge (or is mandated, in areas such as hospitals), wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, use hand sanitizer regularly, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and finally get your flu shot.
“Influenza, particularly in individuals who are already compromised, can lead to further complications and the need to be admitted to hospital,” the press release said.
For more information, visit www.cmh.ca.
