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Providence Health Care Receives 3M Health Care Quality Team Award
<< BACK | Download Word File Vancouver, September 15, 2004 — A team from Providence Health Care's Foot and Ankle Clinic has received the 2004 3M Health Care Quality Team Award for Canada in the acute care category. Awarded annually by the Canadian College of Health Service Executives (CCHSE), this prominent health care industry accolade acknowledges successful, sustainable quality improvement projects that demonstrate high levels of innovation and outstanding teamwork. In the ten years since its inception, this is the first year a team from British Columbia has received the award. "The award is representative of the kind of positive work being done at Providence to improve access and care for patients throughout our facilities," says Carl Roy, President and CEO of Providence Health Care. "In addition to reducing patient length of stay and the cost of care, the Foot and Ankle improvement initiative provides an invaluable model of best clinical practices for other surgical services at Providence Health Care and across Canada." The Providence team, headed by Dr. Alastair Younger, developed a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for foot and ankle patients from their first hospital visit to discharge. The pathway results included a 50 per cent reduction in patient length of stay as well as a tremendous increase in patient satisfaction. Before the pathway was implemented the Foot and Ankle program was facing problems such as long waiting lists and patients who arrive in the operating room unprepared, causing last minute cancellations or unexpectedly prolonged hospital stays. "So much of my time with patients was spent on paperwork. Patients would often leave the clinic feeling frustrated and ill-informed," says Dr. Younger. "Now I have more time to talk to them about things that really matter to them. With the pathway, my job is much more enjoyable and we save time while patients get better and more cost-effective care." A group of 3M representatives from across Canada is visiting St. Paul's Hospital September 15 to meet the team and tour the hospital's facilities. Providence Health Care is Canada's largest faith-based health care organization, operating six health care facilities in Vancouver that provide acute, residential and rehabilitation services while conducting innovative medical research. 3M is a diversified international company with a health care business consisting of more than 10,000 medical, surgical, consumer, home health care, dental and pharmaceutical products. CCHSE is a national professional association that serves approximately 3,000 members and about 70 corporate members. -30- For more information or to arrange an interview with Dr. Alastair Younger and a patient please call PHC Communications media pager: 604-667-4397. << BACK | Download Word File |
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