As of September 15, 2023, Grand River Hospital, St. Mary’s General Hospital, and Cambridge Memorial Hospital has begun trialing a new program called Fit2Sit, in partnership with the Region of Waterloo Paramedic Service. Patients who arrive at our emergency departments by ambulance will sit in a waiting room chair upon their arrival, if they are well enough to do so.
The program aims to reduce the amount of time paramedics need to sit and wait with patients arriving at emergency departments by ambulance. By being Fit2Sit, you are freeing up stretchers for others in need and allowing ambulances to get back on the road to provide emergency care to our communities.
How does Fit2Sit work?
- After an assessment, the paramedic will determine if their patient qualifies to wait in the waiting room at the hospital.
- Paramedics use specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to determine if their patient is fit to sit in the waiting room
- When they arrive at the emergency department, the paramedic will take the patient directly to the waiting room, sign them into the kiosk and have the patient sit in the waiting room front row chairs
What changes for you as a patient?
- If you arrive at one of our three emergency departments by ambulance you may end up waiting in the waiting room with other patients
- Hospital staff will monitor each patient who is Fit2Sit while they wait to be seen by a physician or nurse. Patients are asked to inform the triage nurse immediately if their condition changes.
- This does not change the care you receive. The sickest patients will still be seen first.
- Current emergency wait times can be found on our website - click here to view [opens new tab].