ONTARIO, March 22, 2023 –The COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic for Waterloo Region, currently operated by Grand River Hospital at 50 Sportsworld Drive, Kitchener is closing at end of day Friday March 24, 2023. Care for community members with COVID-19, cold and influenza-like symptoms will transition to family physicians, urgent care clinics, and community pharmacies.
This Regional clinic grew out of the COVID assessment clinics run by local hospitals since 2020, merging services into one clinic location, and expanding to care for cold and flu-like symptoms last fall. The clinic has cared for over 8,000 patients in the last six months, seeing up to 400 visits per week. The combined assessment clinics in Waterloo Region have provided over 250,000 visits to local residents since 2020. This clinic closure is coordinated with the return of warmer weather and anticipated seasonal decline of cold and flu.
While GRH has served as the operational lead for the Regional COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic, this clinic has been a collaborative effort with Primary Care Leads, our Ontario Health Teams, Cambridge North-Dumfries and KW4, as well as the Region of Waterloo, St. Mary’s General Hospital, and Cambridge Memorial Hospital.
“This clinic supported community care providers and diverted patients away from hospitals to receive comprehensive COVID, cold and flu care as the pandemic continued and during a season of unprecedented numbers of pediatric respiratory virus patients. This supported our health system to provide the best possible care for community members.” says GRH President and CEO Ron Gagnon. “As care transitions back to other community providers, I’d like to thank all our team members at the COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic, and our partner organizations, for their commitment to this innovative model for patient care over the last several months.”
With the Clinic closure patients needing COVID care for SEVERE symptoms should continue to seek care at the nearest Emergency Department.
- For PCR COVID testing: https://www.ontario.ca/assessment-centre-locations
- For Antiviral therapies (Paxlovid/Remdesivir) please contact your family doctor or pharmacy.
- For all other Cold, Flu and COVID concerns please contact your family doctor.
Ongoing information on COVID care for our community can be found on the GRH CCFCC Clinic website: https://www.grhcareclinic.ca/
For more information, please contact:
Cheryl Evans, Manager, Communications and Engagement
Grand River Hospital
Cell: 226-749-0689
About Grand River Hospital
Grand River Hospital is one of Ontario’s largest community hospitals with an outstanding team of 5,000 dedicated health care workers and volunteers. We provide services and support to more than 840,000 residents at our two campuses and satellite locations in Waterloo Region and Guelph Wellington. We take pride in the ways we collaborate with our health system partners, our region’s academic and innovation communities, and diverse community stakeholders as we work toward providing a world class experience for patients, families and team members. Our programs include cancer and renal (kidney) services; care for the most seriously ill and injured adults; services for mothers, newborns and children; emergency care; mental health and addictions; and care for older adults including rehabilitation. Learn more about our programs here.
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