About Ventilator Equipment Pool

Established in 1994, the Ontario Ventilator Equipment Pool (VEP) is a provincial service operated by Kingston Health Sciences Centre that provides life-enhancing equipment to thousands of clients across Ontario. Funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH), the VEP is the central provincial depot of ventilators and related equipment for persons of all ages who require these devices at home and who have been approved for funding assistance under the MOH’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP).

At no cost to the client, the VEP provides new or recycled life support equipment to individuals who live at home and require medical equipment to survive including mechanical ventilators (BiPAP units with a back-up rate), cough assist devices, and oxygen saturation monitors. Clients who no longer require use of the loaned equipment must return it to the VEP. Returned equipment is cleaned and disinfected, serviced and tested before it is recycled and loaned to the next eligible applicant.

Staffed by highly qualified professionals, the Ontario VEP provides a number of related services, including 24-hour telephone technical support seven days per week, equipment service and repair, educational support and remote ventilator monitoring. To best meet the needs of the clients, respiratory therapists provide in-home or virtual instruction on the safe and proper use of the equipment.  To access educational material and important links, see our Resources section.

The Ontario VEP expanded its program in 2007 to include oxygen saturation monitors (OSMs). OSMs are provided only to individuals under the age of 19 who meet the eligibility criteria including premature infants with respiratory problems who are at risk of a profound drop in blood oxygen levels. Without these monitors, young individuals would be at a much higher risk of respiratory failure or increased hospital stays. In 2021, the program expanded its mandate to include children with single ventricle illness.  Additional information can be found in the  Oxygen Saturation Monitor (OSM) Brochure.

In 2014, mechanical insufflators-exsufflators (MI-E) were added to the schedule of approved equipment available from the Ontario VEP.

The Ontario VEP occupies a space in Kingston’s west end at 640 Cataraqui Woods Drive. The site offers approximately 10,000 square feet of customized space including private offices, a client consultation office, an area for equipment cleaning and disinfection, and a biomedical laboratory. The facility is wheelchair accessible and has convenient on-site parking.

For additional information see the FAQ section.

Last updated:  August 12, 2024