Hôpital régional de Lanaudière

Best Times to Visit

About Hôpital régional de Lanaudière

The Hôpital de Lanaudière (Centre hospitalier régional de Lanaudière) in Saint-Charles-Borromée is the regional hospital serving approximately 220,000 residents across the northern Lanaudière region, from Saint-Michel-des-Saints to Terrebonne, including the Atikamekw community of Manawan. Its emergency department operates 24/7 with 42 stretcher beds and receives more than 75,000 visits annually, supported by over 140 specialist physicians and 150 full-time general practitioners. This is a full-service regional hospital offering general and specialized acute care, making it the appropriate destination for serious, urgent, and complex medical needs in the Lanaudière region.

Services & Specialties

Emergency department (24/7, 42 stretcher beds), Intensive care unit (ICU) — 16 beds, 7 operating rooms — surgical services, Diagnostic imaging and radiology, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Test centre and laboratory services, Sexual assault victim support services, Contraception services, Detoxification services, Palliative and end-of-life care, Mental health residential unit, Long-term care (CHSLD) for non-autonomous elderly, Psychosocial and clinical nutrition services, University family medicine group (GMF-U), Cardiology and clinical research, Services in French, English, and Atikamekw.

Amenities

• Breastfeeding room on-site
• ICU family lounge and waiting area
• Staff and trainee library (Direction de l'Enseignement Universitaire et de la Recherche)
• On-site parking

Other Care Options

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Tips Before You Go

• If you do not have a family doctor, call the dedicated access line at 1-833-755-4263 — many non-urgent issues can be addressed without visiting the ER.
• For appointments and referrals, use the hospital's dedicated booking line at 450-756-1628 to avoid unnecessary ER visits.
• The ER receives over 75,000 visits per year — weekday afternoons and evenings tend to be among the busiest periods; consider arriving earlier in the day for non-critical concerns if possible.
• Services are available in French, English, and Atikamekw — let staff know your language preference upon arrival so appropriate support can be arranged.
• Visiting hours for admitted patients are 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM; some units may have additional restrictions, so check with care staff when you arrive.

What to Bring

• Quebec health insurance card (carte d'assurance maladie / RAMQ card)
• Government-issued photo ID
• List of current medications, dosages, and allergies
• Provincial drug insurance card or private insurance information
• Emergency contact name and phone number
• Any relevant medical records, recent test results, or referral documents
• Comfortable clothing and a warm layer — ERs can be cool during long waits
• Snacks, water, phone charger, and entertainment for potentially long wait times

Parking

Paid on-site parking is available at the hospital. Current rates are listed under 'Stationnement – tarifs' on the CISSS de Lanaudière website at cisss-lanaudiere.gouv.qc.ca.

Getting There

The nearest transit stop, C.H.R.D.L. (Hôpital) Débarcadère, is approximately 63 metres from the hospital entrance — about a 1-minute walk — and is served by local CTJM bus routes 2 and 3. Buses run weekdays from approximately 6:20 AM to 10:10 PM and weekends from 7:50 AM to 6:35 PM. Joliette railway station, served by VIA Rail from Montréal, is approximately 1.5 km southeast of the hospital.

Frequently Asked Questions

About ER Wait Times

Emergency departments use triage. Patients with more serious conditions are seen first, regardless of arrival time.

Wait times are ERstat’s estimates, built from what hospitals publish, or from our model where a hospital publishes no wait. They are not the hospital’s own figures. Actual waits may vary.

We check our accuracy every night against what hospitals later post. Forecasting two hours ahead, our estimate is typically off by 32 minutes. See the accuracy scorecard, or how we work the number out.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.