The St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) is a 166 bed facility providing comprehensive 24 hour coverage in Medicine, Surgery, OB, Paediatrics, Anaesthesia, Emergency and Family Medicine. The fully accredited hospital serves the city of St Thomas, with a population of 33,000 and the County of Elgin, with eight municipalities, totaling a catchment area of 89,000 residents. STEGH is located 30 minutes from downtown London, 40 minutes from the University of Western Ontario, and 15 minutes from the beaches of Port Stanley in the heart of beautiful Southwestern Ontario.

Patient care profile for 2008/2009 was 5,642 acute care admissions; 36,784 emergency department visits, 21,078 scheduled ambulatory care visits; 6,224 outpatient and 1,667 inpatient surgical procedures; 854 births. The average length of stay in acute care was 8 days. Currently there are 107 acute care beds, 49 complex continuing care beds and 10 rehabilitation beds.

In 2008/2009, STEGH employed on average 877 staff including 279 RN’s and 109 RPN’s. The Auxiliary has 62 members and our Volunteers generously contributed 31, 835 hours of work.

The 6 room operating suite accommodates the surgical program which includes Thoracic, Orthopaedic, Urology, ENT, Ophthalmology, OB/Gyn, Maxillofacial and General Surgery. The Critical Care Unit consists of 11 beds. Medical Imaging services include X-ray, Ultrasound, CT Scanner, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, Bone Densitometry and the Ontario Breast Screening Program.

Cardio Respiratory Services brings all diagnostic testing for heart and lungs into one area. Tests include Electrocardiograms, Stress Testing, Pulmonary Function Testing, Holter Monitors and Echocardiography. STEGH also provides 24-hour inpatient Respiratory Therapy Services. There is a Sleep Disorder Clinic with three-bed fully equipped clinics for level 2 study and a Home Oxygen Service.

Salaried Clinical Associates (Hospitalists) see on average 40 patients a day, providing in-hospital care for patients who do not have a family doctor or whose doctors choose not to have hospital privileges. STEGH has 62 family physicians and specialists with actives privileges and an additional 35 physicians with courtesy privileges.

STEGH provides palliative care, pastoral care and specially trained volunteers to assist with ER staff during crises. A chemotherapy clinic operates as a satellite clinic of the London Regional Cancer Centre with outpatient services Monday to Friday. Education programs include Diabetes In/Out patient, Apnea outpatient, Sibling Classes, Pre-Admit, Prenatal Care, Weigh-In Clinics and Asthma/COPD clinics. A humour and care clown program was initiated in 2001.

Quality Utilization Management supports and manages continuous quality improvement, hospital utilization, discharge planning and case management. 

The hospital participates in the Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network as a community hospital training centre for residents in OB/Gyn, Paediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, Hospitalists, Anesthesiology, Maxillofacial Surgery and Rehabilitation Services.