Mental health crisis clinic opens Monday at The Royal with 700 visits already logged
The Minto Greenberg Urgent Care Clinic, the only dedicated urgent mental health facility in eastern Ontario, began seeing walk-in patients Monday after a soft launch that drew heavy demand.
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The Minto Greenberg Urgent Care Clinic officially opens Monday, September 21, at The Royal on Carling Avenue. The walk-in clinic serves adults experiencing mental health crises and accepts referrals from hospitals and physicians across eastern Ontario.
It is the only urgent mental health clinic of its kind in the region. The Royal's emergency department shut down in 2000, leaving Ottawa without specialized crisis mental health services for more than 25 years. The new clinic fills that gap during a soft launch that ran from April through September, drawing close to 700 visits. Of those seen so far, 62 per cent presented with suicidal ideations.
Construction took about seven months and was funded entirely by community donations, raising $4 million. The clinic occupies repurposed office space with a direct front entrance and includes a triage area, assessment space and six interview rooms.
Cara Vaccarino, president and CEO of The Royal, said the demand was clear: "We've had close to 700 visits already, so obviously we're filling a demand." She added that expanding operating hours is the next priority: "We're preparing to do that as soon as possible."
The opening comes as The Royal has aggressively restructured its operations to meet a provincial mandate to balance budgets within three years. The hospital narrowed its programs from 17 to 3, streamlined administration and expanded admission criteria, cutting wait times across the organization by 60 per cent. In its mood and anxiety program specifically, wait times fell from two years to four months.
Staffing details and operating hours for the clinic have not been released.
What are the clinic's operating hours, and how many staff are assigned?
Will the clinic be able to handle demand at current capacity, given the 700 visits during a partial soft launch?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
Where is the Minto Greenberg Urgent Care Clinic located?
The Minto Greenberg Urgent Care Clinic is located at The Royal on Carling Avenue in Ottawa.
How many visits did the clinic receive during its soft launch?
The clinic received close to 700 visits during its soft launch from April through September.
What percentage of patients presented with suicidal ideations?
Of the patients seen during the soft launch, 62 per cent presented with suicidal ideations.
How much did construction cost and how was it funded?
Construction took about seven months and cost $4 million, funded entirely by community donations.
