Martensville Messenger March 9, 2017 | Page 5

martensville messenger - marCH 9 , 2017 - Page 5 saskatoon Health region Posts emergency room Wait times Online

Shanine Sealey , Martensville Messenger
Whether it is for ourselves , or someone we love , we have all had to , or will have to visit the emergency room within a hospital at some point in our lives . Not only is it a daunting thing due to whatever ailment it is that brings us to the hospital , but long wait times can make the visit that much more excruciating .
Recently , Saskatoon Health Region released an option that makes it that much easier to gauge the wait times within the Saskatoon hospital emergency departments for those requiring them . The emergency department wait times for adult non-urgent patients can now be located on the Saskatoon Health Region website . In emergency departments , you are not seen by the order in which you arrive ; but instead based on the urgency of your need , with urgent patients being seen immediately . Wait times will be updated on the website every 15 minutes ; however , the times are approximations and can change within a short time period . The times are based on an average of how long the last ten patients were required to wait before seeing a doctor . The times posted will be for adult / non-urgent cases only , as pediatric emergency services are only provided within Royal University Hospital and have a different support process , therefore causing pediatric wait times to be far less predictable .
The posted wait times reflect the timeframe from which an adult / non-urgent patient is registered , following their assessment , to when they are first able to see a doctor . This does not include the timeframe in which it takes to be assessed , nor does it reflect the total length of each visit . When visiting an emergency department , you go through triage , where patients are sorted according to the urgency of their ailment .
According to the Saskatoon Health Region website , the orders in which patients will be seen are : 1 . People who have the most urgent need – for example , those involved in a vehicle collision , whose hearts have stopped beating , or at risk of dying – are seen first . 2 . Second to be seen are the very urgent cases – examples include those with chest pain , trouble breathing , or with large broken bones . 3 . Third are the urgent cases – including those with asthma attacks , stomach pains or high fever , etc . 4 . Less urgent are those , for example , who need stitches , have smaller broken bones , or a sore ear , eye or throat . 5 . Not urgent are those who need stitches removed , or who need a prescription renewal . Saskatoon Health Region reminds patients that if they believe they are facing an emergency , to ensure they don ’ t hesitate to call 911 .
With the new system in place , Saskatoon Health Region is hopeful that the information will be able to help the hospital employees , as well as the patients . Often nurses are asked by patients how much longer they can expect to be waiting , and now , with this system in place , it will allow hospital staff to educate patients on the new system .
The Saskatoon Health Region is the trailblazer for this system within the province . Visit www . saskatoonhealthregion . com and click on the ‘ Emergency Wait Times ’ option for more information .
The NHL trade deadline was last week and while it wasn ’ t the busiest trade day , there was still some interesting deals made . The Montreal Canadiens ended up making the most trades receiving five players including Dallas defenceman Jordie Benn ( no not Jamie Benn , his brother ). The Canadiens also added some size to their lineup with 6 foot 4 Dwight King and well known pest Steve Ott . Maybe the most surprising deal of the deadline was veteran Jarome Iginla going to the LA Kings . While the Kings are a great team and have done well in the playoffs , they currently are not in a playoff spot . Iginla was supposed to head to a Stanley Cup contender and if the Kings can make it to the post season they will do well but whether they make it or not is questionable . Also with the end of the Trade deadline came the ability for the Vegas Golden Knights to officially make transactions and on Monday they announced their first player in franchise history . Brandon Wheat Kings forward and Calgary native Reid Duke signed a 3-year entry level contract with the Golden Knights . Duke has 35 goals and 32 assists with the Wheat Kings in 54 games this season . There are just four weeks left in the NHL season and as of Monday , four of the seven Canadian teams are sitting in a playoff spot . The three that are not currently in a spot are not far from one . The Toronto Maple Leafs are just one point out of the final Wild Card Spot in the East . The Leafs are battling against three other teams who are within three points of the final spot currently held by the New York Islanders . The Leafs are having a great year and thanks to their rookies , Toronto has the number one power play in the league with 22.9 % efficiency . The Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks have a bit of a tougher challenge ahead of them with the Jets back three points and the Canucks back six points of the St . Louis Blues who hold the final Wild Card spot in the West . The Calgary Flames are one of the hottest teams in the league right now winning seven games in a row and eight of their last ten . This run has vaulted the Flames in to the first Wild Card spot in the west and they now have a nice 7-point lead over St . Louis . Calgary is tied with the Anaheim Ducks for third in the Pacific division and just two points back of their Provincial rival Edmonton Oilers . Montreal and Ottawa are sitting pretty at 1st and 2nd respectively in the Atlantic division .
Baseball season is here but before the Big Leagues have their opening day , the World Baseball Classic has its time to shine . The WBC kicked off on Monday when team Israel defeated host team Korea in Seoul . Team Canada will have their opening game Thursday against the power house Dominican Republic team . In their 4th WBC the Canadians are ranked 8th after a 12th place finish in 2013 . The obvious flaw in Canada ’ s team is their pitching with no recognizable big leaguers . It also does help the team that Russell Martin , Joey Votto , and Michael Saunders decided to not play for their country . In a pool with the United States , Dominican Republic , and Colombia it doesn ’ t look good for the Red and White .
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