Today, I took an additional step toward my breast reconstruction surgery on September 12: a pre-op appointment at the Queensway Carleton Hospital.

This was my second visit to the Queensway Carleton Hospital in recent weeks and I was impressed, yet again, by the efficiency of its registration process and the efficacy of its signage. When I arrived at the main entrance to the hospital, I was directed to the registration area through highly visible signs and a path clearly demarcated with posts and ropes. I was greeted by two volunteers who pointed me to an available patient registration clerk. This was easy to see as each clerk had a large electric sign above their station showing either a green checkmark if they were available or a red X if they were already registering a patient.

I sat down at a desk with a green checkmark and presented my health card. Within a minute, I had a plastic identifying bracelet on my wrist and paperwork in my hand along with instructions on where to find my appointment—in my case, the Ambulatory Care Unit, aka Zone 7. The patient registration clerk had even written on the back of my paperwork: "Green Zone 7." I exited the registration area ("take Exit A," she had said) and proceeded down the hall, following the Green 7 signs that hung from the ceiling. I felt like Dorothy skipping down the Yellow Brick Road in search of the Emerald City.

When I arrived at Zone 7, I handed my paperwork to the person at the desk, who gave me a questionnaire and a clipboard and pen. I was to complete the questionnaire and keep it for my appointment but return the clipboard and pen to his desk. "Leave it here," the man had said, pointing to a spot on his counter. Every interaction seemed to be both auditory and visual, which would be highly beneficial to anyone hard of hearing or unfamiliar with English.

After a short stay in the waiting room, Nurse Kelly called my name. We proceeded to a small room. As we walked down the hall, she asked for my name and address to confirm that I was the same person described in the documentation she held. I was. She checked my height and weight, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, medication and prior surgeries. And she went through a booklet to help me prepare for surgery: stopping certain over-the-counter medications a week before the operation, calling the hospital the day before surgery to learn when to arrive, showering with an antibacterial soap the night before and morning of the procedure, bringing clothing that opens at the front. As I had felt with my other interactions at the hospital, my discussion with Kelly was both efficient and productive.

Before leaving the hospital, I stopped at the gift shop to pick up the antibacterial soap that Nurse Kelly had advised me to get. I was met by a very pleasant volunteer who found the soap and rang up the bill. It was less than $8, which was a lot less than I expected it to be.

Everywhere I turned today, I saw staff and volunteers at the Queensway Carleton Hospital striving to make the process of seeking treatment at the medical facility as simple and supportive as possible. I'm grateful for that.