Updated Essential Care Partner Guidelines

Shared on behalf of Jennifer Wintermans, EVP, Communications and Corporate Relations, COVID-19 Lead and Adam Vinet, EVP, Patient Experience & Chief Nursing Executive, Planning and Operations Section Head

To support the move to Response Level Grey (Lockdown), our Essential Care Partner (ECP) guidelines have been reassessed and updated to balance the need for precautionary measure and the need to continue to keep ECPs an integral part of care provision. In addition, the guidance has been updated to include areas deemed “hot zones”, where ECPs are essential to care of patients. Currently, both the Emergency Department and Renal Dialysis unit are deemed as a “hot zone” and will need to follow the applicable “hot zone” rules as outlined in the updated (version #11) Essential Care Partner/Care Partner Guidelines.

Version #11 outlines the following:

  1. All inpatients: are granted one ECP per patient, to decrease unknown transmission, with exceptions being vetted through unit managers to IMT.
  2. Hot zones: will only have ECPs that are essential to the care of patients, with exceptions being vetted through onsite unit leadership.
  3. Areas in outbreak: No ECPs unless special circumstances. Any requests for exceptions will need to be addressed through managers.
  4. End of Life: There is no change to ECPs for palliative care.

Reminder, ECPs should be reminded of PPE requirements as per ECP guidelines and not be allowed to access the Cafeteria, Robins Donuts and Season’s Gift Shop. To support ECPs and as a reminder of requirements, ECP Safety Protocols Information tool has been created to ensure all ECPs are aware of the protocols when entering TBRHSC.

For your reference, the following supporting documents can be found on the iNtranet at https://comms.tbrhsc.net/covid-19-information/.

Additional resources for COVID-19 positive ECPs or patients may be found on the iNtranet under COVID-19 Information Portal – Links and Resources: https://comms.tbrhsc.net/covid-19-information/

If further information is needed, please contact your manager.