Regional surgery wait list system expands

(Newswatch Group/File)

CORNWALL – A system meant to group surgical patients together to find the most immediate date for procedures is being expanded to more Eastern Ontario hospitals.

The system called HUB, built by Kingston-based Novari Health, has been tried out at the Cornwall Community Hospital, Montfort Hospital in Ottawa and Queensway Carleton Hospital in Nepean.

It’s a “real-time regional wait list system” and coordinates surgical services, meaning a patient could get their treatment sooner at somewhere other than their local hospital.

A media spokeswoman for Cornwall Community Hospital couldn’t say how long the system had been in place.

The provincial government announced Friday that HUB will be introduced at Hawkesbury and District General Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital.

Once those systems are running, Glengarry Memorial in Alexandria, Winchester District Memorial and Kemptville District will be added along with seven other Eastern Ontario hospitals.

The Ontario government is spending $300 million this fiscal year as part of a “surgical recovery strategy” to reduce wait times and inefficiencies in the system.