Thursday, April 24, 2014
Grey Bruce Health Services
Grey Bruce Health Services President and CEO Report Highlights
The following are highlights from the President and CEO’s report to the GBHS Board of Directors. The meeting was held at the Lion’s Head Hospital on April 23, 2014.
2014/15 Quality Improvement Plan
- The GBHS 2014/15 Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) is now posted to our website. All hospitals in Ontario are required to post an annual QIP, and to submit the plan to Health Quality Ontario.
- The QIP for this year outlines 12 objectives for improving care, and sets specific targets for meeting those objectives. The objectives include:
- Further reduce wait times in the Owen Sound Emergency Department for admitted patients
- Implement Home First for rural hospital patients (to help patients return home after a hospital stay)
- Reduce unnecessary hospital re-admissions
- Improve satisfaction with the process for discharging patients
- Increase the number of patients who have their medications reconciled during admission and on discharge
- Reduce the incidence of functional decline in patients over the age of 65
- The objectives are organized into five quality dimensions: safety, effectiveness, accessibility, patient-centered care, and integration.
- The Quality Improvement Plan, plus the full list of 2014/15 targets and improvement initiatives are available by clicking here.
- The results from last year’s QIP are also posted on the website.
Annual Report to the Community with Guest Speakers on Stroke Awareness & Prevention
- Stroke patients often come to the hospital late because they don’t recognize the seriousness of their symptoms. With stroke, the faster you get treatment, the better your chances of a full recovery.
- To increase awareness of symptoms, and to help those at risk learn how best to prevent a stroke, GBHS will focus on stroke awareness at its Annual Report to the Community meeting on June 11 at the Harmony Centre, 890 4th Avenue East, Owen Sound (former Knox Presbyterian Church). The meeting will be held from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
GBHS Teams Win Quality Awards
- Every year GBHS gives Quality Awards to teams of staff and physicians who have planned and implemented projects aimed at improving patient care and services.
- A call for submissions is sent out, and teams are asked to present their projects to a panel of their peers. This year, four teams were chosen for Quality Awards:
- Cardiovascular Information Management System (CIMS) Team
- This cross-discipline team worked to set up, train and operate new technology aimed at significantly increasing the turnaround time for cardiology reports and improving access to those reports by moving them online and away from paper charts.
- Discharge Lounge Team
- This team set up a new lounge where patients getting ready for discharg from the medical unit can now go to receive their discharge instructions, wait for transportation, and get information on their follow-up appointments. Rooms vacated by patients waiting to go home can be turned over more quickly, which reduces the wait times for patients coming into the hospital in need of a bed.
- Rapid MRSA Team
- This multidisciplinary team instituted a new process for screening inpatients for antibiotic resistant organisims. This new process allows for substantially quicker and more accurate test results, and has led to increased patient safety.
- Five Foundations – Education Fund
- This project was initiated by the five foundations that support the GBHS hospitals. Staff historically have had variable levels of financial support for educational opportunities, depending on the resources of the foundations supporting their work site. Thanks to pooled resources, funding opportunities are now standardized, and can reach more employees.
Media Contact:
Mary Margaret Crapper
Director, Communications & Public Relations
Grey Bruce Health Services
519-376-2121 ext 2806
mcrapper@gbhs.on.ca
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