Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) acting president and CEO Karen Riddell sat down with AM800's The Dan MacDonald Show to look back at 2024 and to the year ahead.
2024 saw a number of recognitions for WRH, including back to back 'Exemplary Standing' accreditation, meaning the accreditors determined the hospital exceeded the standards set by Accreditation Canada in terms of the hospital organization, policies and procedures.
WRH also received the Believe Windsor-Essex Award from the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce.
Riddell says that the hospital's EMS pre-notification process for strokes was also recognized.
"Which has resulted in some of the highest access rates for endovascular thrombolytic therapy for stroke in the province," she said. "We also have received from Ontario Health Trillium Gift of Life Network awards for the efforts that we make with regards to organ and tissue donation."
In Oct. 2023, WRH became the first healthcare centre in Canada to use the Evolv Weapons Detection System, when it was activated in the emergency departments at the Met and Ouellette campuses.
The system uses powerful sensor technology with artificial intelligence to detect weapons or other potential items of concern.
Riddell says it has been very well received by the community, staff and patients who feel safer entering the hospital, having detected over 3,100 threats in the first year of service.
"Our staff are very actively engaged in our safe workplace committees, so we have a specific emergency department working group, we have a med surge working group, so the frontline staff are very actively engaged in the work that we're doing as a hospital to improve security and safety throughout the building."
Last week, WRH announced it was seeking proposals to build phase one for the new acute care hospital.
The first phase of the hospital will include the construction of a parking garage, education centre and administration area.
Riddell says even though the move is years away, transitional planning is underway.
"Whether its equipment, technology, the infrastructure itself, staff training, and also looking at what staff do we need for the new building with expansion of programs and services, and what that looks like."
Hospital officials hope to start construction in 2026, if not sooner.
