Infectious disease services at KGH expanded

Kelwona General Hospital (KGH) has expanded its services to treat patients with infectious diseases.

A new outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) clinic has opened to provide intravenous antibiotic treatment.

This will be able to serve people with several types of infections including pneumonia, cellulitis, abscesses and post-operative wound infections.

The clinic is located on the second flood of the Dr. Walter Anderson building at KGH and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

“Our health-care teams are always looking at ways to improve services and have more patient-centred care,” said Interior Health president and CEO Susan Brown.

“Opening this new outpatient clinic will provide better service and care for patients with complex infections.”

The clinic is staffed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of infectious disease specialists, registered nurses, a pharmacist, unit clerk and social worker.

The clinic is currently available for patients referred by their physician during a hospital stay or by a physician in the emergency department.

Interior Health anticipates that the clinic will see approximately 2,000 visits in its first year of operations.