Our Environmental Services (EVS) department has implemented additional cleaning and disinfection procedures to ensure a clean and safe environment for our patients, staff and physicians.

• Increased EVS staffing for all common areas and high-volume units
• All patient and staff screening stations disinfected nightly
• New disinfection technologies and products implemented, including electrostatic disinfection

In line with provincial guidance and direction St. Joe’s has been able to implement daily screening and surveillance of our inpatients. The objective is early detection and early intervention of new or worsening symptoms. Given the emerging data that COVID-19 may be an ongoing issue till a vaccine is available, this screening is an important patient safety step in our overall goal to drive quality of care. The new process includes actively screening each patient each shift and determining the need for testing/swabbing. This change is fully supported by a new medical directive enabling nurses to initiate quick primary testing. Subsequent screening resulting in potential further testing will be discussed with the treatment team.

Our staff and physicians follow meticulous hand hygiene practices. Click here to learn more about hand hygiene at St. Joe’s.

As a precautionary measure we are introducing COVID-19 testing for every patient being admitted to St. Joseph’s Healthcare.

Given the rise of the omicron variant, with community rates of COVID-19 being at the highest they have been during the pandemic, there is an ongoing risk of admission of patients that are not displaying COVID-19 symptoms, but infectious to others. 

The following entrances will be the only points of entry for patients and visitors, per Campus:

CHARLTON CAMPUS

FOR PATIENTS REQUIRING EMERGENCY SERVICES

Emergency Department, Main Entrance (entrance off of James Street South):
Open 24 hours / 7 days a week
Note: For patients requiring emergency services only.

FOR PATIENTS AND VISITORS

1) Main Entrance (Information desk):

7 days a week | 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.

2) Juravinski Tower, Level 0 Entrance:

7 days a week | 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Note: this entrance is also for staff, physicians, vendors, Dynacare, and Lifeline

3) Fontbonne Entrance:

7 days a week | 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Note: this entrance is also for staff/physicians

4) Roof deck Entrance (St. Joseph's Drive):

7 days a week | 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

5) Surgery Centre:

Monday to Friday | 5:45 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

6) Martha Wing, Level 0:

Monday to Friday | 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

FOR LABOUR AND DELIVERY PATIENTS

Roof deck Entrance (St. Joseph's Drive):

7 days a week | 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

WEST 5TH CAMPUS

Main Entrance (West 5th Street), Level 1:

7 days a week | 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Outpatient Entrance (Fennel Avenue), Level 0:

Monday - Friday | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Cafeteria:

7 days a week | 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

KING CAMPUS

Main entrance:

Monday - Friday | 6:25 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Dialysis entrance:

Monday - Friday | 6:30 - 11:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday | 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

We are using environmental cues around the hospital to encourage physical distancing, including signage and roping off every other chair in waiting rooms and using tape on the floor to encourage distancing in line-ups. 

Seating areas in public areas are limited.

Staff and physicians are replacing in-person group meetings with virtual meetings using teleconferences and video conferencing when possible, and have been asked not to attend in-person conferences or speaking presentations for work. Conferences, corporate events and corporate social gatherings have been cancelled or postponed.

Click here to learn more about universal marking at St. Joe's.