Michael Garron Hospital's (MGH) Stavro Emergency Department (ED) offers urgent care for people experiencing severe, potentially life-threatening illness or injury. This includes severe physical trauma, loss of consciousness, serious bleeding and sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or weakness.
We are one of the busiest single-site emergency departments in Ontario. Like many other hospitals across the province, our ED at times may see higher than usual patient volumes. This includes during respiratory illness season, which typically takes place from September to March.
As a result, our team proactively takes measures to help ensure we can continue to provide safe, timely and high-quality care. However, patients may still experience longer than usual wait times.
To help ensure all patients can receive the urgent care they need in a timely manner, please review all information on this page before visiting our ED if you are able to. If you are experiencing an urgent but non-life threatening health issue, we encourage you to consider other urgent care options in East Toronto.
In addition to our 24-hour ED, we offer the services below to better serve our patients. Please review the options below to determine if one of these services is right for you.
The entrance to our ED is located off of Mortimer Avenue under the Emergency sign.
The ED is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
MGH’s ED is a proud member of Kids Health Alliance. We are committed to providing coordinated, consistent and high-quality care for children and youth through both our main ED and Child and Youth Emergency Zone.
Our Emergency Department offers urgent care for people experiencing severe, potentially life-threatening illness or injury. This includes severe physical trauma, loss of consciousness, serious bleeding and sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or weakness.
If you are experiencing an urgent but non-life threatening health issue, we encourage you to contact your primary care provider, such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner. You can also consider other urgent care options in East Toronto.
If you are experiencing a sprain, fracture or small broken bone, you can use the E-Booking Portal for Minor Injuries to book an in-person appointment in our Emergency Department so you can minimize your wait time.
Your health, safety and comfort are very important to us. When you arrive to our Emergency Department, an experienced triage nurse will triage all patients using the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS). This ensures the sickest patients are seen first, regardless of time of arrival.
If your condition changes or gets worse while you are waiting to receive care, please tell someone at the triage desk or a team station.
Our team does their best to ensure wait times to receive care are as short as possible. Individuals who need diagnostic imaging (e.g. CT scan, X-ray, MRI, ultrasound), blood work and other services may need to wait for those services.
In addition, our Emergency Department has wait time clocks that allow patients to see their estimated wait times. There are two wait time clocks in our department: one in the triage area that displays estimated wait times to see the triage nurse; and one in the Green and Pink Zones, which displays estimated wait times to see a doctor.
Masking is optional for all patients, families and care partners. However, patients, visitors, staff and physicians must wear a mask in specific circumstances as determined by the Infection Prevention and Control Team.
Masks are available at all hospital entrances, in the Agne & Adrian Rocca Patient Registration Department and on clinical units for those who wish to use them.
We understand urgent care is not pre-planned. However, if you are able to, please bring the following items with you to the Emergency Department:
Despite our team’s best efforts, some visits may take some time. If you are able to and are well enough, please also consider bringing a book or tablet and charger which may help pass the time.
We appreciate your kindness and patience as our team does their best to provide urgent care for patients as safely and quickly as possible. MGH has a zero tolerance policy for all forms of abuse.
At MGH, families and Care Partners are welcome according to the patient’s wishes.
The length of visits and the number of people at the bedside at any one time will be determined by the patient, family and clinical team. Decisions will take into account the needs of the patient, their roommate (if applicable) and environmental capacity. Learn more about visiting a patient at MGH.
If you would like to visit a patient in the Emergency Department, please contact the department at 416-469-6435. The number of visitors allowed per patient varies, depending on the area of the Emergency Department the patient is in. The patient’s clinical team will confirm this number to visitors in advance.
As part of our triage process, patients aged 10 and older will be asked screening questions about their mental health. We believe caring for health includes supporting emotional well-being. These questions help us better understand how to support you. You only need to share what you’re comfortable with.
