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Toronto ERs See Faster Ambulance Times With New Recovery Space
16 Sep
Summary
- New centre diverts intoxicated individuals from emergency rooms.
- Paramedic response times dropped significantly with the new facility.
- Over half of visits were from individuals experiencing homelessness.
A groundbreaking study published this week in the Canadian Journal of Public Health reveals significant improvements in emergency response times due to Toronto's new Stabilization and Connection Centre. Launched by the University Health Network in 2022, this facility aims to redirect individuals intoxicated by alcohol or opioids, who do not require immediate medical care, away from busy emergency rooms.
The evaluation of the centre's first two years demonstrated that paramedics spent an average of approximately seven minutes at the facility. This contrasts sharply with the over 34 minutes typically spent at two nearby emergency departments, allowing paramedics to resume their duties much sooner.
This initiative has proven safe and effective, with less than seven percent of patients requiring subsequent hospital transfer. Dr. Andrew Boozary, a founder of the centre, noted that the new model is particularly vital for addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness, who accounted for more than half of the centre's 4,500 visits.
