Alexandra Hospital, Ingersoll (AHI) and Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital (TDMH) have a rich history of providing excellent, compassionate care. As small community hospitals, we pride ourselves in providing high quality and safe patient care. In order to support and sustain quality care in our communities in this complex and constrained environment, as well as meet our patients’ and their family’s expectations, AHI and TDMH defined a quality strategy in July 2018.
The purpose of this strategy was to have the vision and the platform in place to: identify clearly and visibly responsibility and accountability for quality; understand our successes and where quality can be improved; encourage staff to challenge status quo, no matter how good the organizations are perceived to be; and, strive to continually implement improved processes with the goal of better quality outcomes.
A great vision for change is only as good as how effectively it is communicated. To ensure that our vision is impactful, AHI and TDMH are allocating resources and time to create, define and communicate our vision. We are pleased to introduce ‘Quality Starts with Me”. With this video, we feel that we have reached our goal to communicate our vision in a way in which it is powerful, understood and where our patients, their families and staff can envision the outcome. We are very grateful for those who have volunteered to be part of this special event.
Alexandra Hospital, Ingersoll (AHI) is committed to delivering quality, innovative, accessible care to the community in collaboration with their partners.
AHI 2024-2026 Patient Safety Plan aligns with our Strategic Directions and reflects what is important to our community –quality and patient safety. The plan was informed by numerous stakeholders and is part of our broader Quality Improvement program, which also includes our 2024/2025 Quality Improvement Plan.
As we make progress on our current Patient Safety Plan, we will update stakeholders regularly including our Patient and Family Centered Care Committee (PFCCC), our Joint Board Quality, Risk and Patient Safety Committee, and our Joint Board. These stakeholders will also be consulted as we draft the 2024-2027 Patient Safety Plan.
We commit to publicly sharing our progress on our current Patient Safety Plan annually, and to sharing each new Patient Safety Plan as they are finalized (every 3 years).
At AHI, we are on a continuous journey of quality improvement. Our Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) is one of the tools we use to track our performance in a selection of high-priority areas, including patient and staff safety, patient-centred care, and providing effective care. This plan represents our ongoing commitment to achieve and lead in system-wide quality and safety best practices that improve patient experiences and outcomes, and also provides accountability for reaching the highest possible quality and value for health care in Ontario.
On October 24, 2005 the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care launched a web site that publishes data on wait times for key surgical procedures at Ontario hospitals. Measuring hospital specific wait-times will give hospitals and the government a fact-and-evidence basis from which we can identify ways to increase efficiency and standardize best practices, and target funding to improve patient access.
By visiting www.health.gov.on.ca and clicking on the Wait Times link, Ontarians can see how long patients are waiting for treatment in the five key services that are part of the government's Wait Time Strategy: cataract surgery, cancer surgery, hip and knee replacements, select cardiac procedures and MRI and CT scans.
Wait times are categorized on the website by procedure, hospital and Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) - beginning with data as of July 2005. This information is updated regularly.
Patient Safety Indicator Reports
(please click on the item below for more information)
AHI is fortunate to have a dedicated team who pride themselves in the care they provide their patients. This is not always done through the obvious ways people see each day but through the concerted efforts of those working behind the scenes. Once such group is the Patient Safety and Safe Moves Committee who meet monthly to discuss patient safety related concerns. Members are well represented from various areas of the hospital including Nursing (front line staff, Executive and Clinical Leader), Nurse Educator, Environmental Services, Rehab Services, Volunteer services, Occupational Health & Wellness and Infection Prevention & Control.
The committees’ role is to:
Provide a venue to share patient safety concerns
Identify areas for improvement related to patient safety
Participate in an annual review of the patient safety plan
Review patient safety occurrence trends
Provide ideas and support for educational opportunities related to new and existing safe moves equipment at AHI
Participate in identification of future safe moves/safety equipment needs in preparation for budget planning
Review/monitor equipment recalls/ concerns/trends to support team member and patient safety
Share information with colleagues throughout the organization related to Patient Safety and Safe Moves
Assist in the review of the accreditation standards and Required Organizational Practices (ROPs) related to patient safety
Assist in identifying at least one patient safety related prospective analysis to be performed annually
Assist the co-chairs with maintaining and updating safe moves manual, patient safety policies and procedures
Forward recommendations/concerns to Leadership team and Patient Safety Quality of Care Committee
Your Role in Patient Safety:
There are many ways in which patients and visitors can help keep patients safe. You can be a good visitor by:
Abiding by the visiting rules. Visiting during designated visiting hours (2pm – 8 pm) allows the interdisciplinary team to provide the care required for recovery from illness. Visiting is restricted to two visitors per patient. Congestion beyond this not only disturbs other patients in the room but also increases the safety risk of others. If you are visiting multiple patients (for instances, if you are a pastor), sanitize your hands before and after seeing each patient. Do not share the communion cup. Lay the wafer on a paper towel (not directly on the patient’s table). Visit the person in isolation last and follow the precautions specified.
Sanitizing hands before and after visiting. The hand sanitizers in patient rooms are for everyone – sanitize your hands when entering and leaving the room of the person you are visiting to avoid brining in and carrying out germs. Insist that health care providers do the same before caring for your loved one. Clean your hands after sneezing, coughing, touching your eyes, nose or mouth, after using the restroom and before and after eating and drinking. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve, and do not sit on patient beds or handle their equipment. Read and follow any instructions posted outside the patient’s room.
Stay home if you are sick. Do not visit the Hospital if you are sick or have had any ill symptoms within the last three days including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever (or feeling feverish), uncontrolled cough or rash.
Check first before you bring food, send flowers or take the kids. While flowers, young visitors and home-baked goodies spread cheer, they may not be allowed, so check with the nurse first. If you change the water in a vase of flowers, be sure to wash your hands afterward. Bringing food is risky because the patient may be on a special diet or the food could spoil or make the patient sick. Likewise, check with the nurse about the rules for children visiting. If you bring youngsters, don’t let them play on the floor or bed and have them wash their hands as they enter and leave the room. Make sure the child is free from symptoms of infection (e.g. runny nose, sore throat, rash, cough, etc.).
Observing/Abiding by Special Precautions. If the person you are visiting is on “Isolation Precautions”, they will have a sign outside their door by the room number. Talk to the nurse before entering the room to find out what steps you will have to take, such as wearing a mask or other protective clothing. Also ask for any educational materials that may be available.
Don’t contribute to the clutter. Limit the patient’s personal items. Less clutter eases the critical job of cleaning hospital rooms. Keep patient items off the floor and away from waste containers.
Back at home. Keep the patient healthy back at home. Follow discharge instructions and eliminate germs from the patient’s environment by using disinfectants such as sprays and wipes to clean hard surfaces often. Ask for special instructions if the patient had a drug-resistant infection such as MRSA, VRE or C. difficile.
