Emergency Services

We provide 24/7 emergency services to patients of all ages. The nearest emergency service is in Fort Frances 150 km from Atikokan. We see over 3000 patients a year and we are proud of the excellent service we provide to our small, rural, northern community with our competent, compassionate, and diverse professional team. Our team is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, pharmacy assistant, laboratory and diagnostic imaging technologists; who are available onsite or on-call to meet the Emergency Care needs of infants, children, and adults at any time.

 

Inpatient Care

Our team of health care professionals work together to deliver safe and effective inpatient care. AGH has 15 patient beds in an acute care wing that opened in 2016. We strive to provide person-centered care valuing the dignity, privacy, and holistic needs of each patient. The inpatient beds of Atikokan General Hospital are utilized for general medical patients, cardiac care (including thrombolytics), rehabilitation, palliative care, respite care, dietitian, and mental health and addiction services.

 

Respite Care

Short- stay admissions are available for respite relief for caregivers. You may call the Utilization Coordinator at 597-4215 to talk about the daily cost and how the admission work. There is no minimum length of stay, however the maximum length of stay is 15 days at one time or 4 weeks within the year. Admission is dependent on availability of beds on the inpatient floor. The process starts with a physician’s order. The hospital will then contact the primary caregiver to discuss availability of beds, confirm or deny the request, and what is required for admission (personal medications, clothing, dentures, and toiletries).

 

Complex Continuing Care/ Alternate Level of Care (ALC)

AGH recognizes there are times when a patient cannot return home safely and may require ongoing nursing support and/or longterm care. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) definition of alternate level of care suggests the patient no longer requires acute care services of a hospital, but are not able to be cared for at home. The patient may need the type of care provided in a complex continuing care setting or long-term care home. When patients are not able to obtain long term care at the time of need, the hospital may consider the patient as ALC. This means the patient will live at the hospital until a bed is available in long-term care. This process requires a physician order and a discussion with hospital administration. A daily payment fee is required and is called a “co-payment” fee.

The ALC co-payment fee is set by the MOHLTC and changes yearly. Depending on your income, you may pay all or some of this fee. When a bed is available at a longterm care, the patient is expected to accept the bed and move out of the hospital. Patients who choose not to go to long term care will have to consider discharge from the hospital to an alternate location or be charged a per diem rate of the hospital cost.

 

Extended Care (Long-Term Care)

The Long-Term Care beds within our Extended Care Wing are home to 26 residents who enjoy a variety of services including; meals in a common dining area, dietitian support, rehabilitation support, seniors counselling service, pastoral care, recreational therapy and a variety of volunteer programs including palliative care visitation. We recently launched our Smile App that increased family engagement when they can see activities that their loved ones are part of at our Home.

 

Rehabilitation

The Rehabilitation Department has a well-integrated professional team comprised of a Physiotherapist, and an Occupational Therapist supported by a Kinesiologist and a Rehabilitation Assistant. The rehabilitation services in Atikokan are in high demand and our amazing team works really hard to serve our community. Through partnerships and Ministry support, we are soon going to open a community rehabilitation space where we can hold group programs facilitated by our Kinesiologist.

 

Diagnostic Imaging

Ultrasound, X-Ray, Holter Monitors are available at AGH through pre-booked appointments or through emergency access. Our diagnostic imaging department has two technologists and at least two part-time support. Regular hours are from 8am to 4pm with 24/7 on-call access for emergencies.

 

Laboratory

Our Laboratory department is staffed with 3 Full Time Laboratory Technologists who offer in-patient and outpatient services. Our lab is very busy performing thousands of tests a year while making sure that we maintain the highest standards through accreditation and continuous quality improvements. In 2020, we performed over 27,000 tests! Since COVID, we switched from first come first serve to appointment-based and this has improved the overall satisfaction from our community members. Our laboratory is a member of the Kenora Rainy River Regional Laboratory Program.  The program provides administrative and technical advice, consultative, educational and quality support services for six Northwestern Ontario Laboratories; it lends its expertise in the delivery of laboratory services consistent with best practices and established standards to ensure accuracy and reliability of test results.

 

Telemedicine

As part of the Ontario Telemedicine Network, we utilize the advantages of technology to minimize services gaps due to our remote location, we are able to bring the specialist to you through OTN. Telemedicine helps improve access to medical services that often would not be available consistently in distant rural communities.

A telemedicine appointment is just like a regular appointment, only the specialist you will be seeing and speaking with is not in person but through a videoconference system. With the use of technology and innovation in the field the specialist is able to run diagnostics and read them in real-time as if in person so treatment is not compromised. This service is covered under OHIP, a specialized nurse will connect each patient with the right health care professional and assist the patient throughout their e-visit. For more information please read the Telemedicine Appointment brochure.

 

Ask your doctor about OTN:

• to access a specialist from anywhere in Ontario in a timely manner.
• to receive care closer to your home.
• to reduce travel to appointments, saving time and money.

 

Mental Health and Addictions

Free and Confidential Counselling Services are available to Atikokan residents and surrounding communities. We also support other communities who may be experiencing longer waitlist by providing virtual counselling. In Atikokan, we provide the following services:

 

Adult Mental Health Counselling (for people 17-65)

Individualized assessment, crisis intervention, counselling and treatment for adults experiencing mental health problems including depression, anxiety, stress, abuse (past or present), eating disorders, anger management, etc.

 

Case Management Services (for people 18+)

The goal of this program is to increase independence and quality of life for those living with a serious mental illness. Case Management services include crisis intervention, counselling, housing support, skills development, medication monitoring, client advocacy, service co-ordination and assistance with the activities of daily living.

 

Substance Abuse and Problem Gambling Services (for people 12+)

Assessment, community-based treatment, referral to residential treatment programs, outreach and aftercare support for those with problems related to alcohol or drug use or gambling. Family support and education is also available.

Haarala Lane Transition House

This is a 4-bed transition house for low-risk clients who have underlying mental health diagnosis and who are at-risk of homelessness. This is considered an independent communal housing with some in-house support and regular access to our mental health clinicians.

 

Dietitian and Food Services

Under the supervision of a Registered Dietitian, AGH provides nutritious and home-cooked meals to all our inpatients and residents, including meals for a fee for our staff and physicians. We also have limited Meals on Wheels services for those that are referred through our Home and Community Supports partners. They also provide simple catering for internal meetings and events.

Pharmacy

The AGH pharmacy is proudly accredited through the Ontario College of Pharmacists and provides pharmacy services for the inpatient, and emergency departments. The Pharmacy works collaboratively with the physicians and other health care professionals as well as a Regional Pharmacist at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center. With their extensive knowledge and expertise, the Pharmacy provides medication information and recommendations to the medical staff and the patients.

Support Services

AGH clinical services are made possible with extraordinary support from our environmental, maintenance, health records, business office, procurement and sterilization, and administrative staff:

Business Office: They prepare payroll, pay bills, receive donations, processes admissions and billings, and many more! They are the first you see when you enter our main door and the voice that you hear when you call our main line.

 

Environmental Services

The cleanliness and low rates of infection throughout AGH is largely attributed to the quality of work of our housekeeping and laundry staff. They maintain a high standard of cleanliness that our community members highly value.

 

Medical Device Reprocessing and Stores:

MDR and stores ensure that AGH is adequately and timely supplied with items that are needed to provide care and do all the work that is required in our 24/7 operation. We also provide sterilization services in-house.

 

Procurement: 

Our purchasing department ensures that we get the best contracts, pricing, and quality products from vendors. Orders are through procurement and along with our stores staff, they manage our inventories at AGH.

 

Health Records

They are the guardians of your health information and they ensure that AGH is aware of critical data through scorecards and statistics. You can request for your information in writing through our Health Records, they conduct audits and make sure that accurate information is collected and stored.

 

Physician Recruitment

This is a new role under AGH and through the Manager of Health Records. We are supporting the recruitment initiatives for physicians for our community in partnership with the Town of Atikokan, and trough our Health Professionals recruitment and Retention Committee

 

Privacy Officer Services

Another hat that our Manager of Health Records own is the Privacy Officer role. She ensures that privacy breaches are prevented and she supports AGH in managing requests for information, investigation, audits, and learning.