nutritional counselling on an outpatient/ambulatory basis to clients referred by physicians or by staff dieticians
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Emergency Department
The Emergency Department is staffed 24 hours a day with qualified nursing and medical staff. The department provides emergent, urgent and nonurgent care. Its triage system ensures that all patients will be seen by a nurse within 15 minutes of arrival. The sicker patients will be administered to first while those less sick will be seen as soon as possible. Chaplaincy service is available to the Emergency Unit 24 hours a day. Social Work Services works closely with the staff to provide access to the community services necessary to expedite the care required. The department works in collaboration with community services such as the Community Mental Health Clinic, Community Care Access Centre, Homewood Health Centre, St. Joseph's Health Centre - Guelph, the Ambulance Service and the Police.
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Rotary Club of Guelph Family Birthing Unit
The Family Birthing Unit provides primary maternal care, caesarean section births and neo-natal services in a special care nursery. The unit team consists of obstetricians, general practitioners, paediatricians, midwives, nurses, lactation consultants, social workers, pastoral care and nutritionists. Patients with obstetrical complications and seriously ill newborns are directed to a tertiary care centre such as Hamilton Health Sciences Centre. Birthing beds are available in 12 labour-delivery-recovery-postpartum rooms and the significant other is encouraged to share the birthing experience with the mother. Caesarean sections are performed on the unit in a specially equipped operating theatre. All patients are encouraged to pre-register in our Pre-Birth clinic between the gestational age of 16 to 20 weeks where they receive information about their pregnancy and birth from a Public Health nurse. Two support people are welcome to assist the mother through her birth experience. Lactation support classes are also offered after birth.
Click here to download a booklet containing pictures of our Family Birthing Unit.
Mother-Baby Care
Mothers and babies are cared for as a family unit. The services include:
- parent-focused individualized learning to care for the new baby
- pre-birth clinic. Call Kids-line for an appointment at 519 846-2715 ext. 5701 (or 1-800 265-7293 ext. 5701) when you are 12 weeks pregnant to book your appointment or click here.
- early discharge with referrals as necessary to Public Health or the Community Health Center for breast feeding support. The Healthy Babies Healthy Children program ensures all families receive a phone call 48 hours after discharge and are offered a home visit by an experienced nurse.
- secure Unit to promote infant safety
- family visiting where brothers and sisters are encouraged to visit for short periods if they have had chicken pox or their chicken pox vaccine. Other visitors are encouraged to visit the new family in their homes.
- massage therapy from students from Sutherland-Chan School, Toronto
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Laboratory
The Laboratory provides modern, high tech, acute care services to inpatients and outpatients at both Guelph General Hospital and St. Joseph's Health Centre - Guelph. The services include:
- microbiology
- histology
- clinical chemistry
- cytology
- haematology and blood bank
- ECG
GGH also serves as the regional morgue.
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Medical Unit
A wide range of services and programs are offered to our adult patients. Family team conferences are held where families are involved in the care plan for their family members demonstrating the emphasis on a family-centred approach. Respite facilities are available in the hospital for families who wish to stay close to their loved ones.
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Paediatric Care
The Paediatric Unit provides primary care for infants, children and adolescents up to the age of 19. Patients with major complications are transferred to a tertiary care centre such as Hamilton Health Sciences Centre. The Paediatric Unit delivers family centred care so family participation is very important. Paediatric Day Surgery patients as well as Medical Outpatients are cared for in the 6 West unit.
Community liaison involves other agencies such as Community Mental Health Clinic, Public Health, Homewood Health Centre, Community Care Access Centre, University of Guelph, local schools, and the Home Accident and Injury Committee (screens for child welfare cases).
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Pharmacy
The department is responsible for the following functions at both Guelph General Hospital and St. Joseph's Health Centre - Guelph:
- a safe and effective drug distribution system
- drug storage and control in patient care areas
- education and counselling programs for patients, staff and families
- participation in patient care conferences
- handling of investigational and special release drugs
- drug use evaluations
- patient profiles
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Rehabilitation Therapies
Rehabilitation Therapies provides services to patients while they are hospitalized. The services include:
- physiotherapy
- occupational therapy
- speech therapy
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Guelph-Wellington Care & Treatment Centre for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Guelph General Hospital is the designated sexual assault centre for the region. GGH has been working with a community co-ordinating committee, and the program is being recognized as a model for integrating community and institutional support services.
The Centre has a team of specialized nurses who have training and experience caring for people who have experienced sexual assault and/or domestic violence. Its services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To get services offered by the Centre, come directly to the Emergency Department and ask to see our Domestic Violence Nurse. She will be paged immediately. Clients are offered a private waiting area until the nurse arrives - usually within one hour. Any injuries requiring immediate attention are looked after in the Emergency Department first.
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Support Services
Spiritual and Religious Care - Spiritual and Religious Care is designed to meet the religious/spiritual and emotional needs of patients, their families and hospital staff. Our chapel is located on Level 5 by the main elevators.
There is a full-time chaplain on staff, as well as many community volunteers who assist with the program. These include on-call chaplains, clergy and priests who provide interfaith worship, lay pastoral visitors and organists.
The department provides regular bereavement programs for relatives and friends of patients who have died in hospital and provides support for parents, family members and staff in the event of a stillbirth or neonatal death.
Social Work and Discharge Planning Services - Social Work and Discharge Planning Services is responsible for programs and activities that support staff and patients to effectively cope with current issues. The department provides professional services including discharge planning, crisis intervention and linkages to the community.
The service is primarily on an inpatient basis, although arrangements are made for appropriate outpatient follow-up. The social workers work closely with community agencies (e.g. Community Mental Health Clinic, Community Care Access Centre, Family and Children's Services, Public Health) and act as facilitators for collaborative care.
The department also co-ordinates the patient's discharge by working with the patient, family and health care team in the hospital and community. The service ensures early identification and assessment of the patient's needs and implements timely discharge plans that enhance continuity of care and efficient use of hospital and community resources. Community liaison includes Community Care Access Centre, St. Joseph's Health Centre - Guelph, nursing homes and retirement homes.
Lifeline Program - Lifeline is an easy-to-use medical alarm that lets you summon help any time of the day or night - even if you can't speak. When you press your Personal Help Button, you are connected within seconds to a highly trained Lifeline Response Centre Associate who accesses your personal health profile, assesses your situation and arranges for the appropriate assistance. This can include notifying friends or family if necessary. The Associate will also follow up to make sure help arrives.
Lifeline is for you if you can answer "yes" to any of the following:
- You are home alone on a frequent basis
- You are at risk for falls You use adaptive devices to assist you with walking
- You are managing a medical condition
- You are considering a move to an assisted living facility
Lifeline gives affordable peace of mind and the security needed to live independently. There is no equipment to buy and no long-term contract to sign. Just call the Guelph General Hospital Lifeline Program at (519) 836-6420.
- Infection Control - The role of Infection Control is to maintain a healthy hospital environment for patients, employees and the community through surveillance, education, research and environmental controls.
- Volunteer Services - Guelph General Hospital has 200 volunteers donating over 2,000 hours a month. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please refer to the volunteer section in this Web site.
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Surgical Suite
The Surgical Suite includes seven operating room theatres and a post-operative recovery room. In addition, there is a urology and an endoscopy suite.
The Surgical Suite provides comprehensive inpatient surgery and day surgery procedures. The services include:
- ear, nose and throat
- dental and oral reconstruction
- gynaecology
- general surgery
- vascular surgery
- bronchoscopy
- ophthalmology
- paediatric (not ophthalmology)
- orthopaedic
- urology
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Ambulatory Care
All of Guelph General Hospital's imaging systems are now digital with the recent addition of one of the few digital mammography machines in the province. The department provides electronic images and services to inpatients and outpatients. Our diagnostic imaging services include: 
