Is CHEO a safe place to be? Yes! CHEO is a safe place for kids, caregivers and staff. Here are the key ways we are ensuring the safety of children youth and families during this time: Everyone is carefully screened when they come to CHEO – this includes all staff, medical staff and families.

Everyone is provided with a mask to wear the entire time they are at CHEO.

We have signage and floor markers throughout CHEO, reminding everyone to keep a safe 2 meter distance.

We made changes to our parent/caregiver presence policy to minimize the number of people onsite.

We have an infection control and prevention team who makes sure CHEO upholds infection control standards and practices in accordance with current provincially and/or federally legislated requirements, and/or currently accepted professional guidelines and recommendations For more information, read through our step by step guide of what to expect when coming to CHEO below. Is my non-urgent CHEO appointment cancelled? Surgery, Medical Imaging and certain Ambulatory Care clinics that support surgeries and procedures are the first areas to restart scheduled, in-person services at CHEO. We are currently increasing the number of scheduled services in these areas gradually and carefully – always with everyone’s safety top of mind. All other areas at CHEO are working hard to plan for the safe and gradual increase of scheduled, in-person services. Teams continue to evaluate patient lists to understand which children and youth need to be seen more urgently. For more information, read through some frequently asked questions about increasing clinical services. Is it safe to bring personal items for my child's appointment or stay at CHEO? Yes it is safe to bring personal items for your child's appointment or stay. However we ask that you only bring as few items as possible — only the items you need — and wash or disinfect them before and after to prevent the spread of infection. This is especially important if you are coming for a clinic appointment or to our Emergency Department. What do I do if my child or youth has an existing health condition or has complex care needs? If your child has an existing health condition, or requires complex care, it is very important you follow Ottawa Public Health’s preventive and preparation measures — especially if you are their primary caregiver. In addition, please: do not hesitate to visit CHEO’s Emergency Department if your child is in need of emergency care — we are actively screening all patients for recent travel history, exposure to sick travelers and symptoms of illness

ensure you have 2-3 weeks of medication and medical supplies on hand

consider making a back-up support in the event your child’s primary caregiver becomes sick

ask anyone who will be in contact with your child if they have infectious symptoms and ask them to stay away if they do

limit your exposure to public places as much as possible — consider using a grocery delivery service, or asking for help from family and friends

contact your primary care provider or social worker with any additional questions or concerns you might have Frequently Asked Questions for families who are often at CHEO Tips and strategies for families SickKids: Recommendations for School Reopenings Should I come in for my scheduled volunteer shift? Some on-site volunteer roles are able to resume this summer. If we are able to welcome you back to your role at this time, you will receive an email from our Volunteer Resources team with more information. Our volunteers give so much back and provide such wonderful energy and compassion. We are grateful for your generous donation of time and positive energy. We look forward to seeing you all back again soon. Visit our volunteer page to learn more and find the latest updates. What is CHEO doing to screen and protect patients? CHEO staff are actively screening all patients and visitors. Recent travel history or exposure to sick travelers, along with new symptoms of illness, help us quickly identify children and youth who may have the virus. Any patient who screens positive for possible exposure to the virus will be placed on additional precautions and evaluated further to determine if testing is required. Our Infection Prevention and Control team is in close contact with Ottawa Public Health and other agencies to help guide decision-making and receive updates on the virus. My child or youth needs to come to the CHEO Emergency Department. What should I do? When you arrive at the Emergency Department, please: wash your hands with hand sanitizer. If your child or youth is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19: put on masks when you arrive

Let the screeners know about their symptoms and recent travel history, including travel of those close to them. What amenites and accommodations are available to caregivers at CHEO? To prevent the spread of infection and keep kids, caregivers and staff safe, we have had to limit some of the amenities available at CHEO right now. Our Ronald McDonald Family Lounges are currently closed. Computer and internet access Wireless internet is available free of charge. Simply open your laptop or mobile device and select “CHEO_Guest” from the list of networks. Then click “Connect.” Before doing so, please familiarize yourself with our terms of use. Computers in the Ronald McDonald Family Room and Family Resource Library are currently unavailable. Please use your own devices. Food services CHEO’s Oasis Cafe and Rainbow Cafeteria are still open to kids, caregivers and staff. Please follow social distancing while in these areas! We also offer room delivery to kids and caregivers on our inpatient units, including those in isolation. Please ask your care team or our cafe staff for a menu. New: We've extended our inpatient delivery services to 10pm daily. You can continue to order from our regular menu from 8am - 7pm. From 7pm to 10pm you can now order from our limited after hours menu. Please ask a member of your care team for either menu. Microwaves and refrigerators Our family kitchen on 4 West and other units are still open for caregivers. You can use the microwave and refrigerator there while your child or youth is at CHEO as an inpatient. If your child or youth is in isolation, unfortunately you will not be able to use these shared microwaves and refrigerators. KidCare Pharmacy offers delivery and drive-thru services CHEO’s KidCare Pharmacy now delivers prescription packages to inpatient nursing stations and the Emergency Department, as well as to customers outside the Main Entrance. For delivery inside CHEO: A nurse simply calls extension 6037 with an order. The nurse who places the order will receive the package at the nursing station.)

For pick-up at the Main Entrance: Call KidCare Pharmacy at 613-737-2316. Once your prescription is ready, KidCare alerts you and you simply drive up to the Main Entrance, where a friendly KidCare delivery person runs your prescription package out to the trunk of their car. Sleep rooms and accommodations Our sleep rooms are currently closed. If you want to stay overnight with your child, there are sleep beds available in each inpatient room. Only one caregiver can be on-site at a time. ROTEL is not currently accepting new guests. If your family is from out of town and needs accommodations, there are a number of nearby places that offer discounted rates for families travelling for medical care: Homewood Suites - Downtown Ottawa (Studio suites for $79, 1 bedroom suites for $104 plus tax. Includes laundry services, to-go bagged breakfast and wifi. These discounted rates for CHEO families can be accessed using code MCD)

Travelodge East

Holiday Inn East (not accepting those with respiratory viruses)

YMCA. Please call 311 and speak to a crisis worker to receive a referral. Showers, washrooms and menstrual products We have two showers available for family caregivers who are staying at CHEO. To access them, call 613-737-7600 extension 6705. Towels are provided. Male, female and gender neutral washrooms are available throughout CHEO. There are wheelchair accessible washrooms on each floor. Based on youth feedback, we now offer free menstrual products in washrooms across CHEO for youth, caregivers and staff. Laundry services The laundry machines in the Ronald McDonald Family Room are currently closed. If you need laundry services, Maple Laundromart on St. Laurent blvd offers services to CHEO families, including pick-up and drop-off for larger loads. Please contact them for pricing information or to arrange for services. Social work support Social work support is available 24/7 for children, youth and caregivers at CHEO. Please ask your care team to help connect you with our social work support. They can provide face-to-face or phone support. Spiritual support and multi-faith prayer room Spiritual services are available 24/7 for children, youth, caregivers and staff at CHEO. Kids and caregivers, please ask your care team to help connect you with our spiritual support. They can provide face-to-face or phone support. Our multi-faith prayer room is still open. If you’re planning to use the multi-faith prayer room, please: wash your hands with soap and water, or hand sanitizer, before and after using the room,

do not use the room if another family is already using it. Do I have to pay for parking to switch places with my spouse or other caregiver? We have been able to provide free parking for the first months of the pandemic. However, as of July 2, in line with all the region’s hospitals we are charging for parking again. For families and caregivers who are switching places to keep someone at the bedside, we have increased the grace period from 15 to 30-minutes on ticketed parking for which there is no charge. This is not possible at parking metres (pay-and-display). CHEO has designed a number of different parking options because we never want parking to be a barrier to care. Please visit our Parking page for more information, including rates and other details. As always, our social workers are available to help families in financial need explore payment options. Are there any changes to how my health information is shared? As part of our emergency response to the COVID-19 situation, CHEO, The Ottawa Hospital and SickKids in Toronto will now allow your patient health record to be securely accessed by partner hospitals should you attend at one of these hospitals during the pandemic. This access is occurring via Epic’s Care Everywhere functionality and your health information will only accessed by those health care professionals providing care to you. Can I still pay my hospital bills in person? Until further notice, families will not be able to pay bills in person at the cashier window. Instead, please pay your bills online using our online form. If you have any questions, or troubles accessing the online form, please call our Finance office at 613-737-7600, extension 2242.