#CountdownToThomsonCentre: Check out MGH’s new Outpatient Procedures Unit

#CountdownToThomsonCentre shares the features of Michael Garron Hospital’s (MGH) new Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre, also known as the Thomson Centre, which opens to patients, families and caregivers on January 23, 2023. Follow along as we count down to the opening by marking different milestones and highlighting the ways the Thomson Centre helps improve the care MGH provides the community!

This week, we’re highlighting the new Leonard Richard Catford and Harold John Catford Outpatient Procedures Unit in the Thomson Centre.

The Outpatient Procedures Unit features nine state-of-the-art procedure rooms located on M2, or the second level, of the Thomson Centre.

This unit is for patients who are having procedures that do not require an overnight stay such as bronchoscopy, colonoscopy, endoscopy, fluoroscopy, gastroscopy, cataract, urology and cystoscopy procedures.

Features of MGH’s new Outpatient Procedures Unit

• Many of the procedure rooms and consultation rooms on this unit are equipped with negative pressure in order to combat the spread of infectious disease.
• There are two waiting areas nearby, including the CIBC Waiting Area, available for visitors who are accompanying a patient.
• Once a procedure is complete, the patient is moved to a spacious recovery bay or recovery room. Patients are monitored here by staff before discharge.
• Scopes used during procedures can be sterilized directly in the procedure areas. This eliminates the need to transport scopes to the main Medical Device Reprocessing Department, which is located in a separate building of the hospital campus.

Benefits for patients and community

MGH’s outpatient clinics are currently located on different floors and buildings around the hospital campus. With the opening of the Thomson Centre, 80% of MGH’s outpatient visits will take place in the new Outpatient Procedures Unit and nearby clinics in the same building.

MGH’s new Chronic Disease Unit is located on the same floor and is beside the Outpatient Procedures Unit. Other clinics, such as Blood Collection and the Eye Clinic, are located only one floor below.

The proximity of these clinics to one another will improve the patient experience as individuals can easily navigate to appointments and procedures.

Other important information

Patients scheduled for a procedure in our Outpatient Procedures Unit will receive a reminder of their upcoming appointment.

Urology and endoscopy patients will receive automated reminders of their appointment via e-mail, text or voice call. The reminder messages will include a link to MGH’s website, where each clinic has noted their preparation instructions.

Take a look at MGH’s new Outpatient Procedures Unit in the Thomson Centre in the video below!