The Emergency Departments are experiencing high volumes of patients who need care. Please be prepared to wait. The most serious cases are treated first.
Not all health concerns need emergency care. You can also book a virtual visit or go to an urgent care clinic for these concerns. For life-threatening symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
Thank you for your patience.
At Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN), we are committed to removing barriers to healthcare. We aim to create spaces that are safe, welcoming, and include everyone.
What does this look like? Meaningful action. We are making changes and trying new ways of doing things. We are working with community partners to co-create safer healthcare spaces, services, and experiences that recognize and celebrate what makes us unique. We want every patient, visitor, partner, and team member to feel valued and supported in every interaction at WRHN.
At WRHN, we provide healthcare that is safe, respectful, and responsive to the wide range of communities we serve. We stand firmly against racism and discrimination of any kind. Our team works to create welcoming spaces and programs for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, ethnicities, races, and abilities.
Creating care that includes everyone is not about finding a one-size-fits-all solution or treating everyone the same. Instead, we aim to deliver health services in ways that meet the unique needs of each person and community. Education and partnerships are two ways we are working towards these goals.
Team members take part in ongoing education at WRHN. It helps them care better for the different communities we serve. Some topics they learn about include:
Continuous learning is a part of our culture. We help teams get the knowledge and skills to provide the best possible care and create safer, more welcoming experiences.
Building trusted partnerships is an important part of creating care that supports everyone. Partners share their knowledge, experiences, and feedback to help us better understand the needs and challenges of different groups and communities. Some partners who have helped us with this work so far include:
Together, we continue to make changes based on communities’ needs and experiences. We are committed to learning, improving, and taking action based on the insights shared by the partners we work with.
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At WRHN, we know that not everyone has the same chance to be healthy. Some people and groups experience unfair differences in their health, treatment, and outcomes that could be avoided. These are called health disparities.
WRHN is committed to changing this. We are taking action to reduce discrimination, racism, and other barriers — both at and across the health system. Some of our steps towards health equity include:
All these steps help us learn about barriers and build solutions to meet the needs of the communities and people we serve. We are committed to working with others as equal partners and building strong, respectful two-way relationships.
In partnership with Ontario Health, WRHN helps foster safer, more inclusive spaces with its health equity survey. This survey helps us understand the gaps and barriers people face to getting healthcare in the communities we serve. We plan to build new services and supports, based on survey responses, so everyone can more easily get the care they need.
When you come to WRHN, we are here to support you. Many services and projects are available for patients, families, and visitors as part of our plan to improve care and health equity:
Everyone should feel welcome and supported when they come for care. That is why WRHN works to make its programs and services accessible to all.
Spiritual care providers support people of all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. Our team can offer emotional or spiritual support, religious services, and care for the entire person, not just your physical needs. They can also connect you with spiritual resources and faith communities outside of WRHN.
WRHN is working to become a safe, inclusive place for all. If you come for care, your team will include your correct name and pronouns on your health record if they are different from the ones on your Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) or insurance card. We want everyone who visits us to feel welcome and respected.
Clear communication is key to providing good care and a helpful health experience. At WRHN, you can get care in the language of your choice through Voyce.
Voyce is a Canadian-based translation and interpretation service. It connects patients and healthcare providers with qualified medical interpreters though audio and video calls. They offer services in more than 235 languages and dialects. This includes American Sign Language (ASL) and Canadian Indigenous languages (Cree, Inuktitut, and Ojibwe).
We also use a tool called Weglot to translate our website into the 10 languages that are most spoken in our region. Offering our website in many languages helps more people find and understand important health information. Patients and families can also view and print helpful resources in the language of their choice.
These are just two ways we are working to make care fairer and more inclusive for.
WRHN is proud to be a part of the KW4 Ontario Health Team (OHT). This is a group of 42 member organizations and healthcare providers that work together to share resources and better coordinate local services and healthcare.
Together with patients, families, and communities, the KW4 OHT is co-designing new projects. Their goal is to improve health equity and bridge gaps in care. These projects include the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), the Newcomer App, and the Neighbourhood Integrated Care Team (NICT). Their work aims to make healthcare patient-centred, more connected, and easier to access for all 400,000 residents of Kitchener, Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich.
