Mock Move to OLM

With the full patient move into the Our Lady of Mercy Patient Care Wing set to take place on Sunday, July 15, 2012, our move specialists, Health Care Relocations (HCR) led the team at St. Joe's through a 'Mock Move' on Tuesday, June 5 in order to confirm our transfer routes, access points, and vertical transportation plans. To build an approximate move plan we needed to time the travel from the farthest distance, 4E Medicine to their new location, 4L Medicine (fourth floor of the OLM Wing).



The move plan that is put together by HCR and the Move Committee at the Health Centre is based on the key principle of continual movement of patients by HCR. Everyone in the transfer team accompanying a patient will need to deliver the patient, hand over the patient with the staff waiting in OLM, and then return for the next transfer assignment.

There will be a number of transport teams that are in a constant cycle during this full four hour blitz (timing is approximate). Included in the transport teams with each patient will be a minimum of one nurse, one respiratory therapist and two members of the Health Care Relocations team per stretcher or wheelchair. Based on the patient's condition and stability, some patients will be taken on their bed, but most will travel on a stretcher or a wheelchair.

While the patient move is taking place there will be stanchions set up along the way so as not to obstruct the constantly moving train of patients entering OLM. The first move from 4E to 4L took approximately six minutes and 54 seconds to complete. This time may flex, as there were a number of closed doors and obstacles that will not be present on the move day. A second mock move was undertaken to time the travel and routes for our tiniest patients, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The isolette successfully went from 5M to 1L (first floor of OLM) in just under five minutes.

Liz Goff, Director of IS was our "mock patient" and provided us with valuable insight from a patient's perspective. For example, who would have guessed that there would be upwards of 15 turns that the stretcher needs to make over the distance of the route?

As we clear out the units moving, the aim is to try to move patients geographically out of the unit (by clearing out hallways from one end to the other) as well as by nursing assignment so that the nurse can accompany the last patient over to OLM, and stay on the new unit.

Leading up to the day of the move messages to families will be sent out and posted on the units to remind them to collect all personal items and bring them home prior to the move. This includes any flowers or plants that the patient may have received while at the hospital. Right before the move there will be a pre-sweep of all patient rooms to ensure that we're not leaving anything behind.

Continue to visit our Redevelopment section of the website for information about our upcoming move!

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Page last updated: June 29, 2010