Drive-thru option adds convenience for patients

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

Patients of Lakeridge Health requiring oxygen tanks have a convenient new option available to them.

Community Respiratory Services, an arm of Lakeridge, recently moved to its new location on 1414 King Street East in Courtice.

Within this new location, Community Respiratory Services is able to offer a drive-thru pickup of oxygen tanks.

Manager Miranda Oppers says this is very convenient for patients, especially those who are short of breath easily or have mobility issues.

“Normally oxygen tanks are delivered to their home, or they come to the office and pick them up. Patients would have to park their car, come in, carry things and lug them back and forth,” Oppers explained.

According to her, she was unable to find a similar service anywhere else.

“This is the first we know of its kind. I search across Ontario, I couldn’t even find anything across Canada.”

Finding the space was a strike of good luck for the organization who looking to move from their former spot at the Courtice Clinic.

“We were looking for a new location with parking close to the front of the building, which was very difficult to find. I drove right past here, and thought this would be a really god and unique experience for our customers,” Oppers says.

The building was a former drying cleaning business, and already featured a drive-thru lane and window.

There was some needed renovations to set up the office space, and ensure the proper connections to other Lakeridge services were in place.

Oppers says it was a bit challenging because they had nothing to go on.

“We weren’t really sure how it was going to work. We are working out some kinks with who helps who,” she notes.

However, Lakeridge director of business development Len Kleine says the end result balances out any challenges.

“The benefits for the people who can just drive through and pick [up their oxygen tank] were just so great, that the little logistics issues around it, we’ve kind of embraced them,” he says.

Kleine believes this type of service will gradually “become more and more popular.”

He noted at their old location, “we did find that when people came, they would drive right up to the building and honk.”

“there was some mobility issues. It wasn’t structured and organized, but there were people who wanted help,” he says.

Roberta Baird is one of the clients who have taken advantage of the new service.

“It’s great. My oxygen delivery is on Friday, but I’m not going to be available, so I’m having my exchange done today,” Baird told The Express. “They are very quick. They are right at the door and they get it to you right away. It’s great.”

Community Respiratory Services provides service to clients from as far east as Cobourg, west to Scarborough, and north to Manilla.

With the drive-thru window just opening a few weeks ago, Oppers says there is a small number of clients using it, but she expects it to grow. For more information, visit http://www.lakeridgehealth.on.ca.