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Sunnybrook now operates Wallaceburg CACC

April 3, 2014

Today, the Centre for Prehospital Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre assumed responsibility for operation of the Wallaceburg Central Ambulance Communication Centre (CACC).

Wallaceburg's CACC handles requests for emergency medical and a number of fire services in Chatham-Kent and Lambton County. Sunnybrook is a world-renowned leader in trauma and emergency care and has specific expertise in training and managing pre-hospital care resources.

"This is a great opportunity for our teams to work with the professionals in Wallaceburg to continue providing life-saving care for the people of Chatham-Kent and Lambton County," said Rob Burgess, Director of Sunnybrook's Centre for Prehospital Medicine. "This new structure will promote shared learning among the teams at Sunnybrook and Wallaceburg and will further work to improve partnerships with local EMS providers."

For the past 20 years, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has provided excellent leadership for the CACC and the transition to Sunnybrook is an evolution in the Centre's development where it will be able to take greater advantage of the service and training available through the Prehospital Medicine program.

"We're pleased to handover the operations of the CACC to a program recognized for its work in prehospital care. The Wallaceburg CACC has received extremely positive reviews over the past 20 years and this new relationship is more closely aligned with Sunnybrook's core services. CKHA will still maintain a strong relationship with the Wallaceburg CACC as they are key partners with our local Emergency Departments," said Paula Reaume-Zimmer Director of CACC, CKHA.

All partners involved in the transition including Sunnybrook, CKHA and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care have worked diligently over the past six months to ensure the transition was completed in a manner that maintained services. The dispatch centre will remain in Wallaceburg.

EMS and patient