Dr. Joel Turner, Chief of Emergency Medicine at the Jewish General Hospital, credits donors for helping maintain the Emergency Department’s exceptional reputation

The Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Emergency Department (ED) is the busiest adult ED in the province and has a well-earned, long-standing reputation of excellence. So good, in fact, that more than half the patients who seek care from the Hospital’s emergency services come from outside the JGH catchment area.

“Thanks to advances in technology, portable ultrasound machines can be brought directly to the patient, allowing doctors to identify problems and make more accurate diagnoses more quickly.”

“We are a victim of our own success, with a reputation that stands by itself,” said Dr. Joel Turner, Chief of the JGH Department of Emergency Medicine. “It’s because we’re always trying to innovate and find ways to improve the delivery of emergency care more efficiently and safely.”

One key area of innovation is the widespread use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), a technology Dr. Turner introduced to the JGH almost 20 years ago and in which he is a leading global expert. Thanks to advances in technology, portable ultrasound machines can be brought directly to the patient, allowing doctors to identify problems and make more accurate diagnoses more quickly and confidently, avoiding sometimes long waits for other imaging, tests or procedures.

There’s a secret behind how teams at the JGH can innovate so effectively.

“Donor support has been instrumental in the JGH becoming a leader in POCUS” said Dr. Turner. “We couldn’t function in the ED without the 10 machines purchased thanks to JGH Foundation funding.”

“These machines are lifesaving and reassuring,” said Dr. Turner. “Instead of flying blind, it’s a revolution to be able to use the machines to quickly see and diagnose what’s wrong and treat it effectively. Performing many invasive procedures using ultrasound guidance has also allowed us to perform these more safely and quickly, once again improving our care of patients”.

“Donor support has been instrumental in the JGH becoming a leader in point-of-care ultrasound.”

Donors are also supporting the construction and equipping of a second specialized ED treatment room, intended exclusively for ophthalmology conditions or injuries. With only one now, when multiple patients arrive with eye complaints the wait can be long; capacity will be doubled when the new room opens in June 2025.

These new initiatives continue a long history of donor support for the ED, including significant amounts for the department’s completely new facilities, which opened in February 2014, transforming capacity and services. Other recent projects supported by donors include replacing the waiting room chairs and renovating the ED nurses’ lounge to better meet their needs. Many innovative projects are in the pipeline, including the integration of artificial intelligence, the introduction of a dedicated team to assess geriatric patients more rapidly, point-of-care blood testing allowing for blood results within 30 seconds, and more. All require expertise and financial support.

Emergency care excellence doesn’t happen by chance; it has to be planned and then supported, which is exactly what JGH Foundation donors do.

To make a donation to the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, please go to jghfoundation.org