SLMHC Update
Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Participates in Second Accreditation Process
Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre participates every 3 years in a quality improvement process based on national standards for hospital and other health services.
This year's accreditation survey review will take place December 3rd - 7th, 2007 across the 7 sites that make up Meno Ya Win Health Centre. This will be our second time participating in this external peer review process.
"We are committed to ensuring that our patients and clients receive the highest standards of care possible," said Knowles McGill, SLMHC Board Representitive. "Participation in accreditation helps us to do this," he added.
The Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA), established in 1958 is an accrediting body for organizations across all halth sectors in Canada. The Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre is one of approximately 2500 health service organizations nationwide who voluntarily participate in the accreditation process every three years. The AIM (Achieving Improved Measurements) Accreditation program of the CCHSA is one of the most effective ways health service organizations can look at and continue to improve the quality oftheir services. The AIM accreditation program includes principles of quality improvement, a population health approach and the use of indicators as elements of the organization self improvement process.
"Meno Ya Win welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to quality care and willingness to be compared to nationally accepted standards," said Allan Brown, SLMHC Board Member from Wawakapewin First Nation.
Beginning December 3rd, a team of health professionals experience-matched with our organizations needs will come to Sioux Lookout to survey our facilities. During this visit, the surveyors will meet with our staff, talk to our clients and complete interviews with focus groups and 7 clinical and operational support teams.
"Following their site visit, the recommendation of the survey team and an accreditation decision are formally compiled and we use the information to make ongoing improvements to programming and services", said Barb Linkewich, VP, Health Services.
In 2004, Meno Ya Win received Accreditation status with recommendations in 10 areas. Follow up on the 2004 recommendations was effectively completed by 2006. Of special note following the site visit, surveyors commended Meno Ya Win for taking a leadership role to create a new health paradigm for First Nations that is fully integrative and culturally responsive. We were encouraged to remain steadfast to this commitment and continue our multi-year transformation to become a benchmark organization in this important area.
"Employees from across Meno Ya Win as well as clients and community partners from throughout the region have had the opportunity to be involved in this year's accreditation process", said Julie Kuorikoski, Coordinator, Accreditation Process. "Some of the more direct ways include providinginput on one of the 7 self assessment teams, playing an active role on the 21 patient safety-focused working groups, or participating in the client, staff or stakeholder focus group interviews during the 4 day on-site sruvery."
"Meno Ya Win is committed to providing quality care and service in our region, and everyone's involvement has been extremely important throughout the entire evaluation process. Accreditation simply put, is a tool to help us along our journey of quality improvement," according to Julie Kuorikoski.
"It has enabled the entire organization to get clear on what our strengths are, so that we can communicate and celebrate those achievements. So often we get focused on all the work there still is to do, and that we forget what we've already accomplished. It has also helped us focus in on key areas of improvement that we see as an organization being the most important to move forward with ove the net 3 years," said Barb Linkewich.
A post survey debriefing session for the organization with the survey team will follow on December 7th.