Changes to The Ottawa Hospital’s Emergency Department

If you visit the Emergency Department (ED) at The Ottawa Hospital, things may look a little different. 

As part of an ongoing effort to improve overall care and efficiency throughout the hospital, The Ottawa Hospital is changing the way patients move through our EDs at the Civic and General campuses. These changes will help us provide the best care and patient experience possible for those in need of emergency care.

What’s changing?

Patients coming to the ED for care will be triaged into one of four zones, based on their medical needs and severity of illness/injury:

• Resuscitation 
• Green 
• Yellow 
• Blue

Once triaged, patients will wait in dedicated spaces throughout the ED, depending on the zone in which they are assigned. This means patients will spend less time in the main waiting room.  

In some cases, loved ones who are not designated essential care partners may be asked to wait in the main waiting room, rather than with the patient. This is to ensure patients have more space in the dedicated waiting areas throughout the ED. Care teams will work with patients and their loved ones to determine what works best for them.

Why are we making these changes?

These changes were made based on an overall review of patient flow throughout the hospital. They will help us improve efficiency in the ED, reduce wait times, support staff and physicians, and provide a better overall patient experience.

The ED is often the first point of entry for patients into our hospital. By improving patient flow here, we aim to reduce overall wait times and improve access to care throughout the hospital.

Our teams are working to provide everyone with exceptional care, while they manage this new process. We want to thank everyone for their patience during this transition period.