When every four and a half minutes matters: Enhancing emergency care

The need for emergency care has never been greater. Every four and a half minutes, a patient arrives at Southlake Health’s Emergency Department (ED) seeking care. Built in 2003 to support just over 80,000 visits annually, the ED now sees more than 123,000 patients each year. This reflects the rapid growth and increasing health care needs across northern York Region and southern Simcoe County.

To help meet this demand, Southlake completed a major renewal and expansion of the ED to create more space and enhance the care environment for patients, staff, and medical staff. Combined with innovative tools like Southlake’s Emergency Department wait-time clock, these improvements are helping strengthen access to timely, leading edge emergency care, closer to home.

Southlake Health expands Emergency Department to tackle hallway medicine

To help meet the growing demand for care, Southlake Health completed a major renewal and expansion of its Emergency Department (ED), adding more than 2,400 square feet of purpose-built space designed to improve the patient and provider experience. The project included the addition of a third patient registration desk, three new consultation rooms with exam tables, a rapid EMS triage booth, and enhanced natural lighting to create a more welcoming and efficient care environment.

The redesigned layout also supports Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) efforts and strengthens patient access and flow throughout the department. By helping patients move through the ED more efficiently, the new space reduces congestion and minimizes the risk of spreading viruses and other infectious illnesses.

Completed in phases, the project transformed a former paramedic garage into expanded clinical space. While Southlake continues to transform into a Distributed Health Network over the next decade, the ED renewal and expansion provides meaningful improvements to patient care today. The expansion is already making a difference, supporting faster access to care and a more comfortable, compassionate environment for patients and families when they need it most.

Know before you go: Southlake Health introduces new Emergency Department wait-time clock

The renewed space may create a more welcoming environment, but it is still important for patients to be seen quickly. Imagine arriving at the Emergency Department (ED) and knowing what to expect. Southlake Health is making that a reality with the launch of a new online ED wait-time clock, giving patients and families real-time estimates of how long it may take to be seen by a physician.

The ED wait-time clock eases the stress of an ED visit by supporting transparency, reducing uncertainty, and empowering patients with timely information. Patients can access it on Southlake’s website before or during their visit to see up-to-date information on the estimated time it takes to see a physician for an initial assessment. While patients are always seen based on the urgency of their condition and not the order of arrival, this new feature highlights Southlake’s commitment to accountability and patient-centred care.

The ED wait-time clock can be accessed at: southlake.ca/emergency-department-wait-times.

The Future is Now: Advancing Emergency Care

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our communities, meaningful progress was made to expand capacity and ensure Southlake’s Emergency Department (ED) is equipped with the latest technology to care for our communities.

The expansion and renewal of Southlake’s ED was one of the major milestone in The Future Is Now campaign. This progress is the direct result of our communities’ commitment to ensuring access to leading edge emergency care, close to home.

While this milestone is significant, there is still more to do.

The next phase of The Future Is Now will focus on equipping the ED with the critical tools and technology required to meet ongoing and increasing demand. From advanced patient monitors and diagnostic imaging equipment, such as X-ray units and portable ultrasound units, to modern exam tables and procedure lights, donor investments will directly impact the quality, speed, and efficiency of care delivered every day.

As our communities continue to grow and pressures on ED continue to grow, these resources are not optional; they are essential.

They also play a vital role in supporting Southlake’s greatest strength: its people. By ensuring physicians, nurses, clinicians, and staff have access to the best possible tools, we enable them to continue delivering the exceptional and compassionate care Southlake is known for, under some of the most demanding conditions in healthcare.

Southlake and Southlake Foundation are deeply grateful to the donors who have helped bring us this far. With their support, Southlake is better equipped to respond to urgent needs today while building a stronger, more resilient Emergency Department for the future.

Because when every moment counts, our communities deserve nothing less.