Update (November 8, 2024 at 10 a.m.): Please note the driveway of our Stavro Emergency Department (ED) is limited to emergency vehicles until further notice due to efforts to resolve a watermain issue. Maintenance teams are on-site. Our ED remains open and operational. If you are arriving to our ED by car, our teams will redirect you on-site to ensure you can receive care in our ED in a safe and timely manner. You can also continue to access our ED entrance, including the Child and Youth Emergency Zone, by foot. Support will be provided as needed to individuals with strollers and mobility aids.
Michael Garron Hospital's (MGH) Stavro Emergency Department (ED) offers urgent care for people experiencing severe, potentially life-threatening illness or injury. This includes severe physical trauma, loss of consciousness, serious bleeding and sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or weakness.
We are one of the busiest single-site emergency departments in Ontario. Like many other hospitals across the province, our ED at times may see higher than usual patient volumes. This includes during respiratory illness season, which typically takes place from September to March.
As a result, our team proactively takes measures to help ensure we can continue to provide safe, timely and high-quality care. However, patients may still experience longer than usual wait times.
To help ensure all patients can receive the urgent care they need in a timely manner, please review all information on this page before visiting our ED if you are able to. If you are experiencing an urgent but non-life threatening health issue, we encourage you to consider other urgent care options in East Toronto.
SERVICES
In addition to our 24-hour ED, we offer the services below to better serve our patients. Please review the options below to determine if one of these services is right for you.
- E-Booking Portal for Minor Injuries: Book a same-day or next-day in-person appointment in the ED for a minor acuity (musculoskeletal) injury. This includes sprains, fractures or a possible broken bone in the upper body (finger, wrist or hand) or lower body (toe, ankle or leg).
- Child and Youth Emergency Zone: A family-friendly space beside the ED for children and youth aged 17 and under in East Toronto who need urgent or acute medical care when their paediatrician or family doctor is not available. This includes assessing and treating illness, including cold, flu and COVID-19 symptoms, as well as injury, pain or mental health crises.
LOCATION
The entrance to our ED is located off of Mortimer Avenue under the Emergency sign.
HOURS
The ED is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Paediatric Care
MGH’s ED is a proud member of Kids Health Alliance. We are committed to providing coordinated, consistent and high-quality care for children and youth through both our main ED and Child and Youth Emergency Zone.
Frequently asked questions
- When should I come to MGH’s Emergency Department?
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Our Emergency Department offers urgent care for people experiencing severe, potentially life-threatening illness or injury. This includes severe physical trauma, loss of consciousness, serious bleeding and sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or weakness.
If you are experiencing an urgent but non-life threatening health issue, we encourage you to contact your primary care provider, such as a family doctor or nurse practitioner. You can also consider other urgent care options in East Toronto.
If you are experiencing a sprain, fracture or small broken bone, you can use the E-Booking Portal for Minor Injuries to book an in-person appointment in our Emergency Department so you can minimize your wait time.
- How long can I expect to wait?
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Your health, safety and comfort are very important to us. When you arrive to our Emergency Department, an experienced triage nurse will triage all patients using the Canadian Triage Acuity System (CTAS). This ensures the sickest patients are seen first, regardless of time of arrival.
If your condition changes or gets worse while you are waiting to receive care, please tell someone at the triage desk or a team station.
Our team does their best to ensure wait times to receive care are as short as possible. Individuals who need diagnostic imaging (e.g. CT scan, X-ray, MRI, ultrasound), blood work and other services may need to wait for those services.
In addition, our Emergency Department has wait time clocks that allow patients to see their estimated wait times. There are two wait time clocks in our department: one in the triage area that displays estimated wait times to see the triage nurse; and one in the Green and Pink Zones, which displays estimated wait times to see a doctor.
- Do I need to wear a mask?
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Effective November 1, 2024, all patients are strongly recommended (but not required) to wear a mask while in the hospital, including the Emergency Department. (However, patients, visitors, staff and physicians must wear a mask in specific circumstances as determined by the Infection Prevention and Control Team.)
Masks can be found at hospital entrances, in the Patient Registration office or on clinical units.
- What should I bring?
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We understand urgent care is not pre-planned. However, if you are able to, please bring the following items with you to the Emergency Department:
- Health card (OHIP card)
- Photo ID that includes your date of birth
- Your contact information (e.g. phone number, email and family doctor information), if available
- List of your allergies and any medications that you are taking, including prescriptions or over-the-counter medications
- A support person, such as a family member or friend, who can help with sharing your medical history or providing translations
- We allow one support person with every patient in our Emergency Department
Despite our team’s best efforts, some visits may take some time. If you are able to and are well enough, please also consider bringing a book or tablet and charger which may help pass the time.
We appreciate your kindness and patience as our team does their best to provide urgent care for patients as safely and quickly as possible. MGH has a zero tolerance policy for all forms of abuse.
- Are visitors allowed?
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At MGH, families and Care Partners are welcome according to the patient’s wishes.
The length of visits and the number of people at the bedside at any one time will be determined by the patient, family and clinical team. Decisions will take into account the needs of the patient, their roommate (if applicable) and environmental capacity. Learn more about visiting a patient at MGH.
If you would like to visit a patient in the Emergency Department, please contact the department at 416-469-6435. The number of visitors allowed per patient varies, depending on the area of the Emergency Department the patient is in. The patient’s clinical team will confirm this number to visitors in advance.