Critical care response teams expand to Niagara Falls health unit
Published October 31, 2022 at 4:07 pm
After success at the St. Catharines hospital, a nurse-led initiative that extends critical care help beyond the Intensive Care Unit will start up at the Niagara Falls General Hospital.
Starting tomorrow morning (November 1), the Critical Care Response Team (CCRT) will expand to Niagara Falls General Hospital and will be available 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week.
At some point in 2023, it will become a 24/7 service at the Niagara Falls unit, located at 5546 Portage Rd.
“Expanding the CCRT to our Niagara Falls Site will help to increase patient safety and quality of care, as well as improve general access to critical care resources,” says Elayn Young, Niagara Health’s Director of Critical Care, Cardiac and Respirology.
“Early identification of patients in need allows the response team to stabilize them on the ward or facilitate a rapid admission to the ICU. In addition to enhancing patient safety, CCRT’s have been shown to increase staff engagement and satisfaction.”
Niagara Health says the teams will be comprised of specially trained critical care practitioners and that the CCRT works collaboratively with hospital staff to identify, assess and respond to the needs of seriously ill patients to improve patient outcomes.
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“CCRTs work collaboratively with hospital staff to facilitate the early identification and prompt mobilization of critical care resources to at-risk patients.”
In addition, these specially trained staff follow up to ensure that patients recently transferred out of critical care do not require readmission to the ICU.
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