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, 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.

Ontario VEP equipment is loaned free-of-charge to approved individuals with a long-term physical disability or illness requiring mechanical ventilation at home. Clients no longer requiring use of the loaned equipment must return it to the VEP. Returned equipment is cleaned and disinfected, serviced, tested 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. Registered respiratory therapists provide in-home instruction on the use of the equipment; this service is available in-person and virtually to best meet the needs of the clients.

In November 2007, the Ontario VEP expanded its program to include the provision of oxygen saturation monitors (OSM). These monitors are provided to individuals under the age of 19, 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 for the provision of OSM to children with single ventricle illness. In 2014, in-exsufflators were added to the list of approved equipment provided by the Ontario VEP.

The Ontario VEP occupies a space in Kingston’s west end at 640 Cataraqui Woods Drive. The site offers approximately 5,000 square feet of customized space including private offices, including a private client consultation office, a separate area for equipment cleaning and disinfection, and a biomedical laboratory where equipment is tested, serviced, and repaired. The facility is wheelchair accessible and has convenient on-site parking.

For additional information see the FAQ section.