This is an opinion column written by Lynn Guerriero, President and CEO and Tara Coffin-Simpson, Director, Emergency Services at Niagara Health. It was originally published in the St. Catharines Standard, Welland Tribune and Niagara Falls Review.
If you’ve visited an Emergency Department lately, you’ve likely experienced what so many across the province are feeling: long waits, crowded waiting rooms and frustration about not knowing what’s happening or how long it will take.
We understand how distressing this can be. Our staff feel it too. They come to work each day to help people, and when the system is stretched, it impacts everyone — patients, families and care teams alike.
Across Ontario, Emergency Departments are facing immense pressure. But this is not just an emergency department issue. It’s a system-wide challenge.
Hospitals often operate at over 100% occupancy. This is a result of numerous factors including record-high patient volumes, significant physician shortages inside and outside of hospital and more people arriving at the ED with nowhere else to turn — seniors without a family doctor, people needing shelter, or those who simply can’t access care anywhere else.
During this past respiratory illness season, we saw an average of 143 patients in our hospital who no longer needed hospital care but couldn’t be discharged. These patients — known as Alternate Level of Care (ALC) — had nowhere to go because of limited space in long-term care, rehab, mental health facilities or home care. When that happens, beds stay full, patients back up in the ED and flow throughout the hospital slows down.
Even so, Niagara Health is not standing still.
We’re taking meaningful steps to improve the ED experience in real, practical ways. That starts with the basics: clear communication, safe and timely assessments and waiting room environments that feel more supportive and less stressful.
One of the most impactful changes we’ve made is the launch of our ED waiting room ambassador program. In our Marotta Family Hospital ED, a senior personal support worker is now stationed in the waiting room to support patients and monitor their needs. In just a few weeks, this role has helped de-escalate agitated patients, reduce wait-time complaints and improve safety — even calling emergency codes and helping prevent falls. Our ambassador also offers wayfinding support, comfort and real-time updates to patients and families, while helping our teams identify and prioritize the sickest patients faster. The difference has been remarkable, and we’re actively working to expand this model to other sites.
We’re also looking at how to make our Emergency Department waiting areas more comfortable and supportive. Research shows that clean, well-designed spaces can reduce stress and improve the overall care experience. We’re exploring ways to create more welcoming environments with softer lighting, family-friendly areas, calming artwork, and features like charging stations — all of which can help ease the strain of a difficult visit.
We know, too, that improving access to primary care is one of the most effective ways to reduce strain on EDs. Family doctors and primary care teams are essential in helping people manage chronic conditions, avoid unnecessary ED visits and stay healthier overall. Niagara Health is working closely with Ontario Health and local partners to help connect more residents to primary care through programs such as our new pediatric pathway. Many family doctors in our region currently have space on their rosters — and we are helping people get connected. Better access to a regular care provider means better health outcomes, fewer crises and fewer people turning to the ED as a last resort.
And we’re not doing this work alone. Our ED and flow team meets regularly with community partners like Ontario Health atHome and local housing supports to safely transition patients out of hospital. These partnerships help keep beds available for emergency care and connect people to the services they truly need, whether that’s home care, rehab or social supports.
We know patients are waiting. And while we continue to work on improving care, we’re also working on enhancing the experience of that wait — with better communication, safer spaces and a stronger connection to the care people need beyond hospital walls.
We may not be able to fix everything overnight, but we can keep making improvements, one step at a time.
