Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) achieved 98.2% of Accreditation Canada’s Standards of Excellence, affirming CKHA’s commitment to quality and patient safety.
An overview of the full report from Accreditation Canada was provided at this weeks open Tri-Board of Directors meeting.
President and CEO Colin Patey said this about the achievement, “A year of accreditation provides an opportunity to measure CKHA against recognized standards and evidence-based practices. A positive report is good news for the organization but more importantly, it says to our patients, families and the broader community that we measure up where it matters most – patient safety and quality care.”
Accreditation Canada is an independent organization that provides health organizations with an external peer review to assess quality of services based on national standards of excellence. Accreditation is one of the best assurances to communities, that its hospitals are achieving safety and quality. It is a voluntary process to assess and benchmark the quality of services with patient safety as the cornerstone of the accreditation process.
Surveyors spent a week at CKHA’s campuses in Chatham and Wallaceburg reviewing the organizations materials, formally interviewing dozens of patients, staff and leaders, and meeting with members of the Tri-Board, senior leadership and community partners. They spoke to members of CKHA’s team on the units and in hallways during their time at the hospital. ‘Tracer’ methodology was also used during the survey which provided surveyors with real time input from those they encountered as they moved throughout the hospitals and ‘traced’ the path of patients and processes.
“A year of accreditation provides an opportunity to measure CKHA against recognized standards and evidence-based practices, however, the hospital recognizes that this entire review process is but one stop in a long journey to being an exceptional community hospital,” offered Patey.
The surveyors measured CKHA against 1,984 standards and 32 Required Organizational Practices. The review acknowledges the significant combined efforts of everyone at CKHA for improving quality, patient safety and work life since the last accreditation survey. The surveyors report to CKHA was overwhelmingly positive, with a few areas noted for follow-up and improvement.
The organization was proud to have the following areas recognized:
• Patient & Family Centred Care Committee and Patient Advisors
• Infection Prevention and Control Team
• Equal standards of quality and safety across Campuses
• CKHA is an organization that is community-oriented
• CKHA is viewed by its partners as being distinguished for helpfulness, openness and access among peer hospitals.
CKHA had five departments that achieved 100% of their respective standards, including: Leadership, Medicine, Mental Health, Medical Device Reprocessing (sterilization) and Surgery.
“CKHA embraces ongoing quality improvement and achieving accreditation speaks volumes about our commitment to best practices, quality care and patient safety,” added Patey.
As a follow-up to the surveyors’ assessment, CKHA will submit further evidence regarding equipment training in the coming months. Other improvements related to medications, critical care, emergency department and laboratory will be addressed over the next year, in preparation for the next survey.
Executive Committee Chair, Brenda Richardson concluded, “at CKHA, the accreditation process was viewed as a journey – a road toward exceptional. Composed of several stops along the way, the path was introspective, reflective and rewarding. Above all else, Accreditation provided CKHA with an opportunity to celebrate our accomplishments while also giving us an opportunity to collectively grow and learn.”
