by Mary Wilson-Trider
Last week was Patient Safety Week in Canada. The Canadian Patient Safety Institute established Patient Safety Week in 2005 to “inspire extraordinary improvement in patient safety and quality” through communication within organizations and with their communities.
At Almonte General Hospital (AGH), we celebrated Patient/Resident Safety Week to recognize our role as care providers through the ambulance service, hospital and long-term care settings—and it truly was a collaborative effort.
The week began with CPR recertification training/testing and flu shots for AGH and Fairview Manor staff, physicians and volunteers, given by paramedics from our Lanark County Ambulance Service.
The Maintenance, Day Hospital, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy departments also created information displays that described how they keep patients and residents safe. They also suggested ways that staff, physicians and volunteers can stay safe at work, through such practices as proper lifting techniques.
Over the course of the week, more information was added on fall prevention, the MOREOb program, hand hygiene, best practice guidelines for community rehabilitation and reintegration, Day Hospital, hazard awareness, safe lifting and carrying, proper patient identification and medication reconciliation on discharge. For each of these topics, a subject matter expert was available for a half day to answer questions.
The information poster boards stayed up all week. The displays included a number of testimonials from patient and residents who have received care across the organization. Patient/Resident Safety Week also featured daily quizzes to reinforce the principles of safe care, and each day’s winner received a gift certificate for a local business.
Across the three divisions of the organization, many people worked together to give us an interesting, informative and fun Patient/Resident Safety Week. I would like to thank everyone who participated in creating the displays, reading and learning about safety, the CPR recertification/flu shot day and the quizzes. Special thanks to Heather Graham, Director of Health Records and Chief Privacy Officer, for her leadership of the Patient/Resident Safety Week activities.
Mary Wilson Trider is President & CEO of Almonte General Hospital