Patients and visitors, along with staff and physicians, will notice changes coming to both parking and building access at Battlefords Union Hospital effective Tuesday, July 3, 2018.
“The improvements are the result of review, planning and collaboration among numerous members of the BUH health care team and patient advisors. Patients have asked for improved parking and access,” said Mitchel Smith, Saskatchewan Health Authority facilities maintenance manager at BUH.
“We thank our patient advisors for their input, and BUH staff and physicians for their work and support in getting these improvements in place.”
Patient parking stalls will soon be available at the front of the hospital, with the lot being designated for patient parking only, including stalls reserved for chemotherapy, dialysis and maternity patients. Two ‘Patient Unloading/ Loading Zones’ are being provided adjacent to the access ramps. The area was previously primarily for parking by staff and physicians. Parking will also no longer be permitted along the entrance/exit laneway beneath the hospital’s main entrance canopy.
The size and number of stalls designated for persons with limited mobility will be increased. These are located in the parking area west of the hospital’s main entrance.
The northern 75 per cent of the main parking lot on the west side of the hospital has been designated for patient and visitor parking only. Patients and visitors can park in the southern 25 per cent of the main west lot, as can employees. Signage will clearly identify these areas. Other changes include rehabilitation of pedestrian walkways leading to and from the hospital entrance, plus line painting and improved lighting and signage.
As part of site improvements, access to the hospital will be controlled and monitored each night beginning at 8 p.m. The exterior main doors to the hospital will remain unlocked, while the interior main entry doors will be secured.
Those wanting access to the hospital during these hours will use a buzzer and speaker system located in the main entrance foyer. The buzzer and speaker will be clearly marked and be manned by the hospital’s security personnel located directly inside the hospital lobby. Patients needing care will be promptly permitted into the hospital. Visitors allowed in after 8 p.m. will follow existing processes and policies. A second security person was introduced in February this year to support patient and visitor flow during overnight hours.
“This additional change to after-hours access is the latest in a series of initiatives that have been implemented at BUH,” said Shelly Horsman, Saskatchewan Health Authority’s director of Acute Care for Battlefords Union Hospital.
“Door security systems throughout the hospital have been upgraded, along with video and camera surveillance. Coupled with the additional improvements outside the hospital and in the adjacent parking lots, BUH is aiming to enhance safety and security for patients, providers and the public.”
The Saskatchewan Health Authority is committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment for patients, visitors, staff, physicians, and volunteers in all our facilities across the province. The SHA has undertaken a review that includes assessment of the current state of all security services in our health care facilities across the province, and development of a future state with recommendations for consideration. The review is looking at improving safety in the workplace by implementing best practices in security services. It is also looking at the safety of staff and visitors as they go back and forth from parking lots to facilities.
