St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation

The St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) is a 166 bed facility providing comprehensive 24-hour coverage in Medicine, Surgery, OB, Paediatrics, Anaesthesia, Emergency, and Family Medicine. The fully accredited facility serves the City of St. Thomas, with a population of almost 40,000 and the County of Elgin, with eight municipalities, with a further 50,000 residents. STEGH is located in the heart of beautiful South Western Ontario, 30 minutes south of downtown London, 40 minutes from the University of Western Ontario, and 15 minutes from the beaches of Port Stanley on Lake Erie. Today, the patient care profile may consist of approximately 6,000 acute care admissions; 34,000+ emergency visits, 20,000+ scheduled ambulatory care visits; upwards of 6,000 outpatient and 2,000 inpatient surgical procedures; 800+ births. The average length of stay in acute care was 5.5 days. Currently there are 107 acute care, 49 complex continuing care and 10 rehabilitation beds. STEGH employs on average around 850 staff including 272 RN’s and 113 RPN’s. The Auxiliary has 95 members and 214 volunteers who generously contribute around 40,000 hours of time annually. The six-room operating suite accommodates a surgical program which includes Thoracic, Orthopaedic, Urology, ENT, Ophthalmology, OB/Gyn, Maxillofacial, and General Surgery. The Coronary and Intensive Care unit consists of 11 beds. Modalities of medical imaging include Spiral CT Suite, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, and Bone Densitometry. Cardio Respiratory Services brings all diagnostic testing for heart and lungs into one area. Tests include Electrocardiograms, Stress Testing, Pulmonary Function Testing, Holter Monitors, and Echocardiography. STEGH also provides 24-hour inpatient Respiratory Therapy Services. There is a Sleep disorder clinic with three-bed fully equipped clinics for level two study and a Home Oxygen Service. Salaried Clinical Associates (Hospitalists) see on average 40 patients each day, providing in-hospital care for patients who do not have a family doctor or whose doctor has chosen not to have Hospital privileges. STEGH has 62 family physicians and specialists with active privileges and a further 35 physicians with courtesy privileges. STEGH provides palliative care, pastoral care, and specially trained volunteers to assist with ER staff during crises. A chemotherapy clinic operates as a satellite clinic of the London Regional Cancer Centre with outpatient services Monday to Friday. Education programs include Diabetes In/Out patient, Apnoea outpatient, Sibling Classes, Pre-Admit, Prenatal Care, and Asthma/COPD clinics. A humour and care clown program was initiated in 2001. Quality Utilization Management supports and manages continuous quality improvement, hospital utilization, discharge planning, and case management. STEGH has developed and marketed ‘Continuum Solutions’ software to monitor patient progress and length of stay. The Hospital participates in the Southwestern Ontario Rural Medicine program as a community training centre for residents in OB/Gyn, Paediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, Hospitalists, Anaesthesiology, Maxillofacial Surgery, and Rehabilitation Services. *** In direct support of the Hospital, the STEGH Foundation seeks donated funds to help support the delivery of a wide range of services. Hospitals, through their associated Foundations, must develop strong philanthropic programs to survive. Such a program is vital to help guarantee the level of clinical excellence needed to attract and retain the highest calibre physician and professional health care worker.