Family Medicine

This program provides interdisciplinary teams supporting the care of a diverse group of patients experiencing various illnesses. The complex medical conditions of some of these patients may require a prolonged hospital stay. Once their condition is no longer acute but ongoing care is still required, allied health professionals working alongside direct care providers will liaise with regional resources to find more suitable accommodation the community.

The Family Medicine Program supports a total of 89 beds in the hospital on 3 Lower Acuity Units (LAU). Family Medicine Physicians who practice in the community provide support to patients they know and see on an ongoing basis in their practice. We also have Family Practice Hospitalists who are Family Medicine Physicians who support patients whose family physicians do not admit to the hospital.

Lower Acuity Unit (LAU)

The purpose of the LAU is to provide quality care of the adult patient who is not severely ill or who is in the recovery phase, including the exacerbation of chronic illness, that requires general medical care and intervention to maintain their physical, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being. The patient’s condition is such that the care does not depend heavily on high technology monitoring or complex diagnostic procedures.

The Lower Acuity unit requires daily individual assessment and review of the clinical course and treatment plan for a limited time period, until the condition is stabilized or the treatment course is completed. They do not require 24 hour in house physician presence but attending physician are available during off hours.

Patients are admitted under an attending Family Physician and are cared for by an interdisciplinary team. As continuity is a central value of Family Medicine, whenever possible, patients will be admitted under their own family physician. Individuals whose Primary Care Provider does not admit to a Lower Acuity unit will receive care by a Family Practice Hospitalist on the LAU.