Thank you to the 600+ staff and medical staff who attended in-person or tuned in online to hear from the CEO, our accreditation team and senior leaders at the in-person and virtual Staff & Medical Staff Town Hall on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Audio and video from the Town Hall are now available on our intranet page. Here's a summary of the event:
CEO Update
President and CEO Kathy MacNeil emphasized the organization's deep commitment to anti-racism and reconciliation, particularly in healthcare settings. This commitment is especially poignant in Nanaimo, where the painful history of the Indian hospital looms large in the collective memory. She reflected on the lived experiences of Indigenous patients and families who access healthcare, stressing the importance of transforming care to ensure it is safe and respectful for everyone, particularly those who have not felt safe in the past.
Kathy also highlighted concrete steps being taken by the organization, such as developing an Indigenous-specific anti-racism policy, increasing opportunities for Indigenous students in healthcare professions, and removing barriers to entry for these programs. Kathy acknowledged the intersection between Indigenous knowledge and environmental sustainability, giving examples from Island Health's first Climate Change conference in September, which emphasized the importance of improvement in healthcare to address both physical waste and inefficiencies, noting that the future of healthcare in Island Health must integrate these to build a more sustainable system for everyone.
PANEL: ACCREDITATION
The panel discussion included Robyne Maxwell, Executive Director of Quality, Safety, Risk, Experience & Research, and Nicola Piggott, Consultant with Continuous Quality Improvement, Quality, Safety & Improvement, to talk about accreditation at Island Health.
The recent accreditation process was a significant achievement, marking a milestone in Island Health's four-year sequential accreditation cycle. During the third on-site visit in March, surveyors assessed various acute care services, confirming that 93% of the quality and safety standards were being met across the organization. This external validation reassured the team that high-quality care is being delivered daily. Key improvements noted include the activation of Clinical Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems and the introduction of indigenous patient navigators and culturally safe spaces in facilities, which were recognized as positive strides toward safer and more responsive care for all patients. You can learn more about Accreditation at Island Health here.
Q&As and Next Town Hall
Thank you for your questions and comments in the Sli.do app. The Questions & Answers document, as it stands, is now available online. Responses to unanswered questions will be added as known.
As always, we welcome your ideas for improvement of our Town Halls. Tell us what you thought of the session and what topics you'd like included in future Town Halls. TAKE THE SURVEY NOW until it closes end of day on Friday, October 11.
The timing of Staff & Medical Staff Town Halls is tied to our Board of Directors meeting schedule. We do this so we can leverage the opportunity of executives being in different locations around the health region for in-person portions of the Town Hall. Due to the election this month – our board meeting schedule is being updated. Once we have confirmed a new date/time for the next Town Hall in December, we will note it on our webpage and announce in advance across the organization.