Almonte General Hospital (AGH) continued to provide high-quality care, enhanced collaboration with partners and focused on the community’s health and wellness needs in 2012-13, AGH President and CEO Mary Wilson Trider reported at the Hospital’s Annual General Meeting June 3, 2013.
“A year ago, we launched an ambitious strategic plan,” said Mrs. Trider. “We have since worked to advance our four areas of strategic focus.”
In support of its strategic focus on core programs and services, AGH completely renovated its Central Sterile Reprocessing area to ensure state-of-the-art service to the Operating Room, Obstetrical (OBS) Department and Emergency Department.
Thanks to provincial funding, the AGH OBS physicians, nurses and midwives have joined MOREOb, a three-year program that integrates professional practice standards and guidelines with current and evolving patient safety concepts, principles and tools. As well, the Ottawa Valley Midwives completed training that made AGH the second Ontario hospital and first small hospital where midwives are “first assist” to surgeons performing Caesarean sections.
“Another strategic focus is aging and end-of-life patients,” said Mrs. Trider. “With Ministry funding, we developed new pain management protocols and new resource material for palliative care patients and families.”
AGH has also worked closely with The Hub Hospice and other community partners to begin developing a collaborative local network of palliative care providers. The Hospital has also collaborated with The Mills Corporation and The Alzheimer Society to support a Day Away program in Almonte.
“Using our assets to generate revenue while better serving the community’s health and wellness needs is a third strategic focus,” said Mrs. Trider. “Over the past year, the Alzheimer Society of Lanark County established an office in Fairview Manor (FVM) and the Leeds, Grenville, Lanark Public Health is now located at 79 Spring Street.”
Mrs. Trider said that progress in the fourth area of strategic focus, partnering with secondary and tertiary centres, has largely been achieved through AGH’s evolving relationship with the University of Ottawa, which has indentified a number of locum physicians to provide weekend and holiday OBS coverage at AGH.
“Throughout, we have continued to provide safe, high-quality care for our patients and residents,” Mrs. Trider said. “AGH achieved its 2012-13 Quality Improvement Plan objectives in hand hygiene, medication management, VTE prophylaxis, ER wait times, patient satisfaction and financial results. We reported 100 per cent compliance with the Surgical Safety Checklist and had no hospital-acquired cases of VRE, MRSA or C. difficile.”
A number of surveys conducted over the year also revealed high satisfaction levels with AGH, FVM and the Lanark County Ambulance Service.
“The results of a patient satisfaction survey by Lanark County Ambulance Service have been excellent, including comments about safe, prompt and compassionate care during times of distress,” Mrs. Trider said.
Nearly all FVM residents and families who responded to surveys last November said they would recommend FVM, and 100 per cent of the participating family members said they feel their loved one is safe in FVM.
In August, NRC Picker announced that AGH ranked in the 90th percentile for overall patient satisfaction with acute care and for the number of acute care and ER patients who would recommend AGH to their friends and family. “The most recent patient satisfaction data shows 97.1 per cent of the respondents would recommend us,” Mrs. Trider added.
AGH Chief of Staff Dr. Michael Dolan reported changes in the medical staff, including the recent recruitment of Dr. Karen Turcotte to the Ottawa Valley Family Health Team. “Dr. Turcotte will also continue her significant contribution to AGH’s emergency coverage,” Dr. Dolan said.
Mrs. Trider and outgoing AGH Board Chair Dr. Tom Todd thanked the staff, medical staff, volunteers and Board members who contributed to the work of AGH, FVM, LCAS over the past year. They also thanked the supporters of the AGH/FVM Foundation, which funded $530,000 in capital equipment for the Hospital and Manor in 2012-13.
“I would like to particularly recognize the contributions of Tom Todd during the past two years as Board Chair, and of Past Chair Carol Bean, who has retired after 13 years on the Board,” Mrs. Trider said.
A newly Elected Director for the 2013-14 AGH Board is Ingrid Kadoke. Returning to the Board as Elected Directors are Rod Hall, Sue Hamilton, Cindy Hobbs, Cathy Huffman, Mark MacGowan, Susan Muston, Betty Preston, Rhonda Tees, Dr. Tom Todd and Paul Virgin. Mr. Virgin is the new Chair of the AGH Board, succeeding Dr. Todd. Non-voting Directors are Dr. Heather Abramenko, President, Medical Staff Association; Dr. Michael Dolan, Chief of Staff; Heather Garnett, Vice President Patient & Resident Services and Chief Nursing Officer; and Mrs. Trider.
