INTRODUCTION

The Kirkland and District Hospital is a fully accredited modern, well-equipped hospital having been built in 1976. The Hospital is supported by an active Auxiliary and Foundation. It was originally a 132-bed hospital but it has been gradually downsized to 62 beds as follows: 6 Intensive Care, 2 Obstetrics, 39 Medical/Surgical, and 15 Chronic.

The Hospital currently employs 280 full-time and part-time staff. The laboratories services on site include haematology, chemistry, blood bank and frozen sections and referred out microbiology, cytology and pathology services. Other diagnostic services include echocardiography, pulmonary function testing, exercise stress testing, radiography, mammography, ultrasound and doppler facilities along with fetal monitoring capabilities.

The Anaesthesia Department is well equipped with the most modern equipment possible including cardiac monitoring, CO₂ and pulse oximetry. The Hospital employs two respiratory therapists, two pharmacists, three physiotherapists, one occupational therapist, a part-time dietitian and a social worker. The intensive care unit is also extremely well equipped and has external pacemaking capability. There is an active obstetrical unit with a modern birthing bed and Caesarean Section capabilities. In addition, a chemotherapy clinic and satellite dialysis clinic are operated at the hospital in affiliation with Laurentian Hospital in Sudbury. The hospital is also involved with the Northern Ontario Residency Training Program and physicians readily accept medical students and interns for elective programs.

The active medical staff consists of fifteen family physicians, one internist, and one general surgeon who is also very active in orthopaedics and performs Caesarean sections. The Hospital has weekly obstetrical/gynaecology and pathology services from Timmins. In addition, there are itinerant specialist out-patient clinics at the Kirkland and District Hospital and surgical lists in orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat, urology, ophthalmology, and obstetrics/ gynaecology. Our radiologist who lives in Kirkland Lake services several small surrounding communities. Other out-patient clinics funded through the Underserviced Area Program include Dermatology, Pacemaker, Allergy, Paediatric, Neurology and Geriatrics.