Receiving national recognition with 17 Leading Practices that hospitals around the world can use to improve quality and safety in their organization was one of the highlights celebrated on Tuesday, June 25 at Niagara Health’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Accreditation Canada and Health Standards Organization recognized Niagara Health’s team for 17 Leading Practices that cover a range of areas, including new ways to deliver care, positive culture change and effective communication with staff and physicians. See a full list of our Leading Practices here.
"Health Standard Organization is committed to unleashing the power and potential of people who share our passion for achieving quality health services for all. Our Leading Practices Database provides a knowledge sharing resource for health and social service organizations looking for innovative, people-centred solutions to improve the quality and safety of their health services,” said Accreditation Canada and Health Standards Organization CEO Leslee Thompson, who attended the AGM to present the Leading Practices. "I commend Niagara Health for their 17 Leading Practices, awarded this year alone, covering the spectrum of care from acute care, substance abuse, long-term care to health systems. Niagara Health’s commitment to improving the patient experience and outcomes through compassion, quality, and respect are positive examples of practices organizations can learn from to enhance their own delivery of care."
Niagara Health President Dr. Suzanne Johnston says the Leading Practices recognition is a testament to the extraordinary work and care happening at Niagara Health, and a reflection of the team's commitment and dedication.
"Healthcare is always evolving and I’m proud of our teams that are constantly creating innovative ways to not only provide seamless care, but position Niagara Health as a leader in quality and safety," says Dr. Johnston. "The Leading Practices are just one demonstration of our continuous commitment to providing high-quality, safe care."
Another highlight of the AGM was welcoming five new members to the Niagara Health Board of Directors, and saying thank you to two former members, John MacDonald, a past Board Chair, and Larry Boggio for their years of service.
The new board members join a group of 10 diverse and dedicated volunteers from across Niagara committed to ensuring high-quality, safe, sustainable care who are accountable to the community.
"We were extremely pleased with the interest we received from Niagara residents who wanted to contribute to improving care at Niagara Health," says Niagara Health Board Chair John Bragagnolo. "The new members bring incredible expertise and skills that will increase the diversity of thoughts during our discussions."
Meet our new board members:
Ray Archer has been involved in the information systems security profession for over 25 years. He is the past Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Scotiabank. He has been active in many volunteer and community groups and holds several professional memberships.
Catherine Novick has experience in governance, finance and technology in the financial services, healthcare and education sectors. She also has extensive experience with both non-profit and public company boards and related committees.
Marylee O’Neill is President and Managing Director of Intersect International Ltd. and works with organizations to increase their impact and governance effectiveness. She’s committed to community building where she lives and in addition to being a member of several Boards, has donated her governance consulting support to several organizations.
Mike Watt is the Executive Vice-President of Walker Environmental Group and is a Licensed Professional Engineer. He has numerous accomplishments in the not-for-profit sector, including extensive board and volunteer experience.
Elisabeth Zimmermann, YWCA Niagara Region’s Executive Director, is an experienced senior leader with extensive administrative and management experience. She is a creative and innovative thinker and is an expert at developing and maintaining strategic relationships and strong networks. She is actively involved in the community through her current and past board memberships.
Here are some other highlights from the past year:
- The Memorandum of Understanding with Brock University to enhance efforts in research and applied learning.
- The development of Niagara Health Navigator, Ontario’s first digital health ecosystem to connect patients with their health data and care providers, while protecting their privacy.
- The opening of a shared location with Canadian Mental Health Association Niagara that is improving care and increasing access to mental health and addiction services.
- The launch of the Niagara Health Engagement Network, a part of the commitment to create authentic and meaningful partnerships with patients and families to enhance the quality of care.
- The continuance of strong partnerships with many organizations, including St. Joseph’s Health System, Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre, Niagara EMS, McMaster University, Niagara College and many others.
- Seamless care of dialysis patients using the at-home Amia peritoneal dialysis system.
- The first-of-its-kind tele-resuscitation system that allows Niagara Health Emergency Department teams to connect with Emergency teams at Hamilton Health Sciences’ McMaster Children’s Hospital.
- Niagara Health was named Top Employer for Hamilton-Niagara for 2019, a first for the organization.
