ONTARIO’S CRITICAL CARE SURGE CAPACITY MANAGEMENT PLAN - MODERATE SURGE RESPONSE GUIDE - APRIL 2023 REFRESH

Oct 5, 2026

ONTARIO’S CRITICAL CARE SURGE CAPACITY MANAGEMENT PLAN sets out how critical care units and staff should coordinate during patient volume increases caused by moderate surge events. The Moderate Surge Response Guide details a scaled, integrated approach that includes common management tools, streamlined information technology use, and preplanned human resources and alternate physical space. It covers stakeholder roles, planning involvement, types of surges, and step-by-step actions for declaring and escalating moderate surge response, including teleconferencing and sustainability follow-up.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Version Control

Foreword

Introduction

Key Stakeholders

Who is involved in planning?

Types of Surges

Surge Capacity Management Plan in Ontario

Introduction

Index Hospital Moderate Surge Escalation

Moderate Surge Response: The Step-by-Step Response Plan

Step I: Declaration of Moderate Surge

Step II: CritiCall Facilitates Preamble Call

Step III: Moderate Surge Fan-Out Response

Step IV: Fan Out Regional Teleconference

Step V: Follow up Teleconference to Determine Sustainability

Provincial Ventilator Stockpile

Appendices

ONTARIO’S CRITICAL CARE SURGE CAPACITY MANAGEMENT PLAN MODERATE SURGE RESPONSE GUIDE: APRIL 2023 REFRESH Version Control | Moderate Surge Response Guide | | | --- | --- | | Version 1.0 | Created in 2009 | | Version 2.0 | Updated September 2013 | | Version 2.1 | Updated April 2015 | | Version 2.2 | Updated January 2017 | | Version 2.3 | Updated September 2019 | | Version 2.4 | Updated April 2023 | | To be read in conjunction with | Ontario’s Ventilator Stockpile Guidance Document
Ontario’s Surge Capacity Management Plan: Minor Surge Toolkit | | For more information contact | Critical Care Services Ontario (CCSO)
Email: [info@ccso.ca](info@ccso.ca) | Public Information / Information for Hospital and System Stakeholders © 2023 Critical Care Services Ontario. All rights reserved. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes only and on the condition that the original content of the publication or portion of the publication not be altered in any way without the express written permission of Critical Care Services Ontario. Please contact: [info@ccso.ca](info@ccso.ca) About Critical Care Services Ontario Established in 2005, Critical Care Services Ontario (CCSO) led the implementation of Ontario’s first Critical Care Strategy and now centrally coordinates and develops integrated system solutions for critical care (Adult, Paediatric and Neonatal) and specialty programs aligned with critical care (Neurosurgery, Trauma and Burns, and the Life or Limb Policy) . CCSO’s work is the result of an ongoing collaboration between critical care providers, hospital administrators, partners from the Ministry of Health , Ontario Health, and other health system leaders. [info@ccso.ca](info@ccso.ca)[ ](info@ccso.ca)[https://ccso.ca/](https://ccso.ca/) [youtube.com/CriticalCareServicesOntario](youtube.com/CriticalCareServicesOntario) Table of Contents Version Control................................................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Key Stakeholders............................................................................................................................................ 4 Surge Capacity Management Plan in Ontario ............................................................................................ 5 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Who is involved in planning?................................................................................................................... 5 Types of Surges ...................................................................................................................................... 6 1. General Overview.................................................................................................................................... 7 Index Hospital Moderate Surge Escalation .................................................................................................... 8 2. Moderate Surge Response: The Step-by-Step Response Plan ........................................................... 10 Step I: Declaration of Moderate Surge ......................................................................................................... 10 What has to happen before a Moderate Surge can be declared?

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Moderate Surge Response Guide?

It provides tools and a common, scaled approach for managing increases in critically ill patient volume through integrated communication, streamlined information technology use, and preplanned staffing and space arrangements.

What triggers the declaration of a Moderate Surge?

The guide describes what must happen before a Moderate Surge can be declared and identifies who can initiate the moderate surge response.

How does the guide manage moderate surge escalation step by step?

It outlines a step-by-step plan covering declaration, a CritiCall preamble call, fan-out response to partner hospitals, regional teleconferences, and a follow-up teleconference to determine sustainability.

Oct 5, 2026

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