Hi Everyone,
I'm pleased to share some great news! Thanks to everyone's hard work and contributions, UHN has been awarded a full three-year "Accreditation" - the highest possible award by the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA).
The final report reflects a lot of what was covered at the debriefing session in December. A few noteworthy highlights:
Overall, the CCHSA surveyors were impressed with UHN's friendly, culture of openness and our commitment to patient-centred care. We were commended for our progress since the 2002 accreditation survey and for addressing the majority of their recommendations.
Eight UHN initiatives were recognized as "Good Practices." These initiatives are:
- the Critical Care Outreach Team for improving the care of patients whose conditions deteriorates on the unit;
- an integrated model of care for total joint replacement;
- a user-friendly system in the patient education library;
- the "Easy Call" patient communication system designed to ensure patients are kept in touch with following transplant;
- 80/20 pilot project on the musculoskeletal unit in support of nurses;
- a program in the preadmission unit to identify patients with obstructive sleep apnea;
- innovative patient education practices using both the Intranet and Internet;
- and an alliance with St. John's Rehabilitation hospital for post-transplant rehab.
During the focus groups, patients, families and volunteers told the surveyors that they were pleased with the care and services they received at UHN. Patients feel welcomed here and treated with respect. They also noticed an improvement in staff communications.
Staff who took part in the focus groups commented that they considered UHN to be a very diverse organization with lots of opportunities to grow and to access educational opportunities. Staff also valued the open communication with leaders and managers.
The surveyors also noted that UHN collaborates with our community health partners on a number of fronts. This is an area that will grow in this new LHIN-era.
Of course, the report draws attention to some areas for further work with 14 recommendations, including the need for greater access to bioethical support for front-line staff and a review of our medication administration process. These recommendations are certainly valuable.
We have a lot to be proud of and this report certainly gives us another occasion to celebrate our accomplishments. UHN is truly "a caring, creative and accountable academic hospital, transforming health care for our patients, our community and the world."
Bob
