Visiting
Visitors & Care Partners
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) welcomes care partners and visitors of patients in a phased approach that is balanced with the need to ensure physical distancing and reduced numbers of people within the hospital. The health and safety of staff, patients and the community will continue to be the priority. The presence of visitors and care partners at CKHA will be informed by the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in the community. A change in the community may also mean a change in care partner or visitor presence to maintain the safety of staff, patients and the community. Please speak to your care team to discuss exceptions to the care partners plan.
Visitors and Care Partners:
Current Visiting Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Effective December 1, 2022, CKHA’s Essential Visitor and Care Partner Access Policy, Phase 4 “Post Active Screening Access”, will allow most inpatients to identify as many consistent essential care partners as they wish, with 2 present at a time during visiting hours. Exceptions include:
- End of Life patients may have up to 4 individuals at the bedside at any time
- Labour, delivery, post-partum – may have up to 2 individuals present at any time
- Major surgery – may have up to 2 individuals present a few hours prior to surgery
- Post mortem – up to 4 individuals present at any time
- Patients under 18yo – may have up to 2 individuals present at any time
- Cognitively impaired, unable to communicate effectively – may have up to 2 individuals present at any time
- In the ED (including RAZ) – may have 1 individual present at any time, except
- Imminent risk of dying – may have up to 4 individuals at the bedside
- Outpatients to Ambulatory Care, Diagnostic Imaging, Same Day Admissions – 1 individual may accompany patient
- Dialysis and Oncology patients – 1 individual may accompany patient for first visit only for education and support
Safety Precautions for Care Partners and Visitors:
- All visitors and care partners entering both the Chatham and Wallaceburg sites are expected to be double vaccinated for COVID-19 and/or have a negative test prior to attending CKHA’s sites.
- All visitors must wear a mask at all times, including in the patient’s room, and/or additional PPE as required.
- All visitors will be restricted to visitation in the patient’s room with no access to any common area.
- Visitor appeals can be directed to the primary nurse and/or the Patient Relations office by telephone: 519.352.6400 x 6814 or email: patientrelations@ckha.on.ca.
Outdoor Visiting at CKHA – Chatham and Wallaceburg Sites
Chatham Site – Riverside Courtyard
CKHA is pleased to offer outdoor visiting from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 7 days a week (weather permitting), for eligible patients on all inpatient units. The patio area outside of the South Entrance, adjacent to the Emergency Department and the streetscape has been designated as the outdoor visiting space and is now called the Riverside Courtyard. This space is designed with the appropriate furniture and shade to allow for comfort.
The care team in collaboration with the patient and care partner(s) will determine if the patient is safe to participate in outdoor visits. Patients who are permitted outdoor visiting will be accompanied to and from the outdoor visiting space by their care partner and can have additional visitors outdoors at that time.
Wallaceburg Site – Riverside Pavilion
CKHA is pleased to offer outdoor visiting, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 7 days a week (weather permitting), for eligible inpatients on the Medicine Unit. A grassy area on the south side of the hospital along McCleary Line has been designated as the outdoor visiting space and is now called the Riverside Pavilion. This space is designed with the appropriate furniture and shade to allow for comfort.
The care team in collaboration with the patient and care partner(s) will determine if the patient is safe to participate in outdoor visits. Patients who are permitted outdoor visiting will be accompanied to and from the outdoor visiting space by their care partner and can have additional visitors outdoors. Additional visitors are not permitted entry into the building.
Maps & Parking
Chatham Site
CKHA offers the option to pay for parking hourly or to purchase a multi-day parking pass for any of our five Patient and Visitor lots. There are also a number of metered spots on and around the hospital property.
Reserved parking spots are now available for our patients and their families. Designated patient parking spots are available at our Chatham Site in Lot A (Ambulatory Care), Lot D (Emergency Department) and 47 Emma Street (Diabetes Education Centre). Regular parking rates still apply to these spots.
Accessible parking spots are available in our visitor lots at our Chatham and Wallaceburg sites.
Hourly Parking –$3.00 for the first hour and $2.00 for each additional hour to a maximum of $7.00 per day for 12 hours of parking.
Multi-Day H PASS – Multi-day parking passes, also known as H PASS, are recommended for patients and/or family who make frequent visits to the hospital. Multi-day H PASSes are:
- Available for 5, 10 and 30 days (passes are valid for one year from the purchase date and days are counted by use, not consecutively).
- Unlimited in-and-out privileges, for a 24-hour period from the point of activation for multi-day passes.
- Transferrable and can be shared between up to five users and two vehicles.
Multi-day H PASS rates:
- 5 days – $25.00
- 10 days – $40.00
- 30 days – $75.00
H PASSes are available for purchase at the parking office located in front of the hospital adjacent to the visitor lot. For more information on the H PASS, please visit the FAQs here or call Precise Parklink at 1.416.398.4052 x 585.
Patient and Visitor parking lots are designated as follows:
Lot A (nearest to Ambulatory Care)
Lot C (nearest to the front door and main lobby)
Lot D (nearest to the Emergency Department)
Pegley Court (located slightly further from the building, along the riverfront)
47 Emma (Administration Building)
Click Here for sitemap
Wallaceburg Site
Patient and visitor parking lots are located in front and behind the hospital with the parking fee collected upon entrance at pay and display kiosks. Users place the paid permit on their car’s inside dashboard.
Daily – $3 per 1st hour and $1 for each additional hour to a maximum of $7.00 per daily maximum- 12 hours. Arrangements can be made in the Admitting Department, Security, or the Parking Office for the multi-pass public options.
Accessible parking spots are available in our visitor lots at our Chatham and Wallaceburg sites.
Municipally-enforced parking is located along the street.
Click Here for sitemap
Preventing the Spread of Germs
Patient safety is a priority. In the hospital, it is everyone’s job to stop the spread of germs from one person to another. Hand washing is your best defense against infection. Washing hands with soap and water or waterless hand sanitizer (if hands are not visibly soiled) are both acceptable ways to wash your hands. Please wash your hands often and feel free to ask your healthcare providers if they have washed their hands. In the event of heightened infection control measures, visitor restrictions may be in effect.
Wash Your Hands
- When you enter or exit the hospital
- When hands are visibly dirty
- Before you eat or drink
- After you use the washroom
- After you cough, sneeze, blow your nose
- After you handle garbage
- Cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
Please do not visit hospitalized family members or friends when you are sick.
Hospital Amenities
Cafeteria
Café Grand and the outdoor picnic areas are currently closed to the general public until further notice. Services are available for patients, essential visitors and staff.
Café Grand (Chatham Site) is open from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday to Friday.
24 hour vending and seating is available at both hospital sites for use by patients, families, visitors, staff, physicians, volunteers and students.
There are also outdoor picnic areas with tables if you would like to eat outside.
Tim Horton’s
Tim Horton’s is currently closed to the general public until further notice. Services are available for patients, essential visitors and staff.
Tim Hortons (Chatham Site) offers donuts, bagels, cookies, muffins and hot and cold beverages to staff and patients from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm Monday – Friday.
Subway
Subway is currently closed to the general public until further notice. Services are available for patients, essential visitors and staff.
Located in the cafeteria area, Subway (Chatham Site) offers subs, sandwiches, paninis, soup, salads and hot and cold beverages. Hours are 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday
Newspapers/Vending Machines/ATM
Vending machines are located in busy areas of the hospital.
An Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is available near the Lobby in Chatham. The ATM is only accessible to patients, essential visitors and staff.
Lost and Found
If you have forgotten a personal item at the hospital following your discharge, you can contact the Security Department (Chatham 519.352.6401 x 6384) or the nursing unit that provided your care at Wallaceburg site.
Wi-Fi
CKHA is pleased to offer free access to Wi-Fi through its Guest Network. Guests who leave the hospital should check their settings to confirm they are fully connected upon return. There is no guarantee of Wi-Fi access at CKHA.
Patient and Family Celebration Room
Due to COVID-19 and visitor restrictions the Patient and Family Celebration Room is currently unavailable.
Cashier’s Office
Please be advised, CKHA’s Cashier’s Office is temporarily closed to in-person services until further notice. Accepted methods of payment are cash, cheque, debit and credit.
Additional payment options include:
1) By phone at 1.800.378.3641, referencing your 9 digit invoice number
2) Mastercard is available online at http://bit.ly/ckhapayments
3) Sending a cheque by mail to 80 Grand Ave. W. P.O. Box 2030, Chatham, ON, N7M 5L9
A lock box is located in the central front lobby at the cashier’s office should you wish to leave a payment. A receipt will be mailed to the address on file.
For general billing inquiries, please call the Business Office at 519.380.2883.
FAQ’s
It’s an Emergency! What do I do?
In Chatham-Kent telephone 911 for Ambulance service. CKHA offers 24-hour Emergency Departments at hospital sites in Wallaceburg and Chatham.
Where is the hospital located?
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has two sites:
80 Grand Ave. W. Chatham, ON
For driving directions, click here.
325 Margaret Ave. Wallaceburg, ON
For driving directions, click here.
I don’t have a doctor. What do I do?
In a medical emergency, go to the nearest Emergency Department.
Click Here for the Health Care Connect Program Website
Call Telehealth Ontario for free, confidential telephone access to a Registered Nurse 1.866.797.0000
When can I visit?
Visitor restrictions remain in place with exceptions for patients who fall under specific criteria. CKHA has also introduced the concept of “Care Partners.” For more info on visitor restrictions and the Care Partner program, click here.
Where do I park?
Hospital parking includes municipally-operated meters on and around the property, pay and display and gated lots payable upon exit (Chatham Site), and pay-and-display kiosks (Wallaceburg Site).
For frequent visitors and family, 5, 10, and 30 day passes reduced parking passes can be purchased from the Precise Parklink Office at the Chatham Site (located in Lot C, nearest to the main entrance) and from Admitting at the Wallaceburg Site (located in the main lobby area).
CK Inter-Urban Transit bus company (a privately owned transportation company) also provides bus service from Wallaceburg to Chatham. For more information, please call 519.354.7433.
For more information on parking, please click here.
Do you have a Pharmacy on-site?
Located at CKHA’s Chatham Site (near Tim Hortons), Elston Pharmacy is open weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information click here
Please contact Elston’s directly to arrange curbside pick-up today – 519 354 2444
Do you have a Gift Shop?
Boutique Grand located at the Chatham Site is now open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note the gift shop is open to only patients, visitors and families at this time and remains closed to the general public. The Serendipity gift shop at the Wallaceburg Site remains closed until further notice.
Do you have a Cafeteria?
Café Grand and the outdoor picnic areas are currently closed to the general public until further notice. Services are available for patients, essential visitors and staff.
Café Grand (Chatham Site) is open Monday to Friday from 7:45 am to 2:00 pm. There are also vending machines, stocked daily, available at both sites.
How do I contact a patient in your hospital?
Call 519.352.6400, followed by the patient’s telephone extension. If you do not know their extension, at the prompt of the automated attendant, press the number zero to speak to an operator who can assist you.
Can I order television service for a hospitalized patient?
In-room television rental service is offered by Hospitality Network. To make arrangements for rentals and payments call 1-866-223-3686 weekdays during normal business hours.
Is there public Wi-Fi available at the hospital?
CKHA is pleased to offer free access to Wi-Fi through its Guest Network. Guests who leave the hospital should check their settings to confirm they are fully connected upon return. There is no guarantee of Wi-Fi access at CKHA.
Is there a designated smoking area at the hospital?
As of January 1, 2018, our Chatham and Wallaceburg Sites became 100 per cent smoke-free. New provincial legislation prohibits smoking cigarettes and any other smoking product on hospital property; this includes existing smoking shelters, exterior grounds, parking lots, bus shelters and the property of 47 Emma Street and the Foundation of CKHA. This new provincial legislation helps protect our patients, families, visitors, staff and the public from the hazards of second-hand smoke.
Under these new restrictions, hospital security guards are the first line of enforcement and will have the ability to ticket people who are smoking on hospital property. CKHA works with the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit’s Tobacco Enforcement Officer, who has grounds to lay charges. Violators are subject to a fine of $175 up to a maximum of $5000.
For site maps with property lines:
- Click Here for Chatham Site Map
- Click Here for Wallaceburg Site Map
To learn more about the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, visit: www.mhp.gov.on.ca/en/smoke-free.
Are there job openings at CKHA?
For a complete list of our job openings click here.
Can I volunteer at CKHA?
To ensure the safety of our patients, staff, volunteers and community as a whole, CKHA has suspended volunteer activities until further notice.
How do I make a donation?
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation would be pleased to receive and steward your gift to a site or department of your choice, or towards the most needed cause at CKHA. You can contact them by calling 519.436.2538 or via email at foundation@ckha.on.ca. Your donation is deeply appreciated.
COVID-19 FAQ’s
What should I do before I arrive at the hospital?
All individuals who are attending any site of CKHA must have a purpose to do so e.g. they are a patient, care partner, contractor, etc.
If you have an upcoming appointment and are feeling unwell, please call your health care provider ahead of your visit.
CKHA offers the option to pay for parking hourly or to purchase a multi-day parking pass for any of our five patient and visitor lots. There are also a number of metered spots on and around the hospital property. The closest parking lot to the main entrance (Chatham Site) is lot C. Accessible parking spots are available in our visitor lots at our Chatham and Wallaceburg sites. Visit https://www.ckha.on.ca/visiting#maps for more information.
Where do I enter the hospital?
To ensure your safety, we have limited the points of entry/exit at both of our sites. Currently, visitor entrances continue to be limited to the main entrance (revolving doors) and Ambulatory Care entrance at the Chatham Site, and the main entrance at the Wallaceburg Site. The ED entrance at the Chatham Site is for emergency patients only. The ED entrance at the Wallaceburg Site is for Emergency patients to access 24/7. Between the hours of 6pm to 6am, the Wallaceburg Site Emergency entrance is the only point of access for all patients and visitors attending this site.
If you are attending an Ambulatory Care clinic at the Chatham Site, please use the Ambulatory Care entrance located on the west side of the building The nearest parking lots to this entrance are Lot A and Pegley Lot. Please avoid using the front door (revolving doors) if you will be attending Ambulatory Care.
For all other appointments and admissions, please use the front entrance (revolving doors) to enter the hospital at our Chatham Site and our main entrance doors at our Wallaceburg Site. Our volunteers will assist you upon arrival.
What happens now that the staff screeners are gone?
Our volunteers will be stationed at our information desks to assist with wayfinding, and will encourage you to clean your hands. Please note volunteers will not be screening individuals entering the building.
Can I bring a family or friend with me to my outpatient appointment?
We understand the important role family and loved ones have in supporting our patients. In these times, it is necessary to protect the well-being of our staff and patients by practicing social distancing and limiting the number of people in the hospital. Visitor restrictions remain in place. At this time, only essential care partners are permitted at CKHA. Please visit www.ckha.on.ca/visiting to stay up to date on our Essential Visitor and Care Partner Access policy.
My loved one usually translates for me. What will happen now?
We have the ability to support our patients through resources accessible by phone. This will be organized as required.
Will I need to wear a mask?
Based upon the most recent Public Health of Ontario guidance, CKHA has amended its masking policy for patients, visitors, staff, physicians and volunteers who enter a CKHA facility effective Monday, April 17, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. Click here to learn more.
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