Improving patient safety and quality
Focus on those we serve
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Hospital Improvement Plan – A number of services were consolidated last year to improve efficiency and quality care, including surgeries such as ophthalmology, plastics and day surgery. Thirty beds were closed across a number of sites. Two Emergency Departments were converted to Urgent Care Centres, and statistics show that 95% of patients in Port Colborne and Fort Erie continue to receive the care they need at those two Urgent Care locations.
- Opening CSI Units – New rapid assessment areas, called Clinical Systems Investigation or CSI units, have opened in Welland and Niagara Falls ERs, following the model piloted at St. Catharines General Site to reduce wait times. The goal of the unit is to speed up diagnostic and lab tests and start treatment sooner for urgent patients. Other initiatives to reduce wait times – which are a key priority for the hospital this year – include providing nurses with the responsibilty to order tests that previously would have to wait for the physician to order. Already, the data is showing a reduction in wait / treatment times, from 18.6 hours for high-acuity patients to 16.9 hours, and from 6.4 hours for low-acuity patients to 6 hours. There’s more work to be done, but these and other initiatives are setting us on the right track.
- New CT Scanners – Two 128-slice Siemens CT scanners were purchased and installed at Welland and St. Catharines General sites, replacing aging equipment. The new scanners allow routine tests to be done faster, more specialized types of exams, and lower radiation exposure. Purchase of the equipment and renovations were made possible by the fundraising efforts of Welland Hospital Foundation and St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation.
- More Community Engagement – To help the public understand the changing hospital environment, a concerted effort was made to expand community engagement activities. More than 50 information sessions, open houses and speaking engagements took place to inform the public of services during the last fiscal year. A new Speakers Bureau, where healthcare professionals are booked to present to service clubs and community groups, also started up in 2009, with several different healthcare topics offered.
This past year has seen some major improvements in both patient safety and quality care initiatives, including the introduction of Patient Safety WalkArounds. These are mini-tours of clinical areas by leaders and front-line staff during which staff bring forward patient safety issues they’ve identified, the team brainstorms, and follow-up discussion occurs to make improvements. Various themes are identified for each round, such as patient identification and falls prevention.
In addition, increased awareness of new practices in hand hygiene has led to a significant shift in culture in which Niagara Health clinical and support staff wash their hands much more frequently at key times during interactions with patients.
Education sessions, more hand cleanser dispensers, increased signage and more staff discussions have all made a difference. A hand hygiene audit in March 2009 at all sites during various shifts was repeated earlier this year, and shows an impressive improvement in hand hygiene compliance. By the end of the fiscal year, there was a 90% overall compliance rate across all sites. In addition, the number of infection outbreaks on clinical units decreased by 55%, compared to 2008-09. «
During Patient Safety WalkArounds, leaders connect with front-line staff to discuss issues and solutions. Pictured at the Welland Site ER nursing station are, from left, CEO Debbie Sevenpifer, Dr. Maynard Luterman, RN Vicky Walters, Vice President Patient Services Sue Matthews, RN Nathan Anger, and Patient Safety Specialist Cindo Ko.
