Lower Sackville, N.S., hospital launches new ER number system

The Cobequid Community Health Centre's emergency department is piloting a new number system.

The Cobequid Community Health Centre in Lower Sackville, N.S., has launched a new number-based system in its emergency department with the goal of reducing wait times for patients.

Anyone visiting the ER will now take a number, which will be called out and displayed on a monitor.

Patients will be triaged and registered based on their order in the queue.

Nova Scotia Health says anyone experiencing a life-threatening emergency will be prioritized.

“The goal is to streamline the triage and registration process and improve efficiency. Using numbers also offers privacy as patients’ names will not be called out loud,” reads a news release from the health authority.

The new system began on Wednesday.

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