​Health Sciences North is operating a COVID-19 assessment centre at the Health Sciences North Research Institute, 56 Walford Rd. JOHN LAPPA/SUDBURY STAR

Recently, Health Sciences North (HSN) shared a case study on the launch of its COVID-19 Assessment Centre in Greater Sudbury, in partnership with Public Health Sudbury & Districts and the City of Greater Sudbury. The center was identified as a "gold standard" at the Provincial Command Table on March 13.

HSN was requested to document the approach taken for sharing and learning with other communities.

The centre's purpose is to assess and, only where appropriate, swab people who may be infected with COVID-19 with a goal of minimizing the significant number of patients presenting themselves to HSN's Emergency Department. Benefits of such assessment centres include: 

• Avoiding presence of potential COVID-19 cases in the ED;
• Enabling ED staff to focus its work on emergency care;
• Increasing public confidence in the health system's responsiveness by taking visible proactive
• steps;
• Ensuring a controlled environment in which all providers are best prepared to receive and test
• potential positive cases.

Read more about their process, approach and key learnings in the case study.