No Images? Click here The Waterloo Wellington LHIN’s news for health professionals provides the latest updates from across the local health system as we work together to deliver high-quality, integrated, and patient-centred care for local residents. Improving the Patient Experience: Working in health care there’s a funny phenomenon that occurs – we are so focused on helping others and improving care that we tend to compartmentalize people into targetable streams. We have one strategy for patients. One for caregivers. One for people working in health care. We often forget that they are all the same people. We are all patients. Read the Blog. Innovative Partnership Bringing Better Care to Long-term Care Residents in Wellington Meet Julie, a Nurse Practitioner Improving Access to Primary Care for Long-term Care Residents Julie Murtha has worked with a lot of different people on her path to becoming a nurse practitioner. Always one to celebrate the unique nuances of different cultures and how they influence health care needs, she is proud that her rural experience has afforded her many opportunities to shape a rewarding career serving her community. “I was raised on a pig farm between Listowel and Milverton. I’ve always had a passion for our rural residents and their strength and resilience. I’m fortunate to be able to work with people who have such vastly different backgrounds, including those from our Mennonite and Amish
communities.” Improving Cancer Care for Waterloo Wellington Residents Approximately 400 additional patients will be able to receive radiation therapy here in Waterloo Wellington thanks to recently announced enhancements being planned at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre located at Kitchener’s Grand River Hospital. This announcement will improve cancer care for patients and families, increase access and reduce wait times for cancer-fighting treatments. Representatives from the Waterloo Wellington LHIN joined the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dr. Eric Hoskins and Daiene Vernile, MPP for Kitchener Centre at Grand River Hospital earlier this month to mark the start of construction on these improvements. Read more. Redevelopment announced for Saugeen Valley Nursing Centre Residents of Saugeen Valley Nursing Home in Mount Forest will soon benefit from brand new spaces, additional specialized programs and more spacious rooms with better wheelchair accommodation through the redevelopment of the home and its 87 care spaces. In September, we joined Kitchener Centre MPP Daiene Vernile at Mount Forest’s Saugeen Valley Nursing Centre to announce that it will be redeveloped. Primary Care Providers Advancing Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CDPM) Health care planning for people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and chronic heart failure is advancing in Waterloo Wellington thanks to the many area primary care providers who came together to form the CDPM Advisory Group. With more than 8,000 seniors living in Waterloo Wellington with four or more chronic conditions, the work of the group is vital and has already helped to improve the health of local residents. Health Quality Ontario Releases Annual Report Card: Measuring In October, Health Quality Ontario released Measuring Up 2016, an annual report focused on key health system performance indicators. The report highlights both LHIN and provincial performance from 2014-15 across 25 indicators. It identified a number of areas where our local health system is performing exceptionally well. It also illustrates specific areas where further improvements are needed to improve the care local residents receive. Read more. Board Highlights The Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network’s Board of Directors held a meeting on Integrated Clinical Council Dashboards Launched The Waterloo Wellington LHIN is committed to integrating clinical care to improve the quality of care residents receive across the health system. That is why we helped lead the creation of local Integrated Program Councils. The purpose of these councils is to identify evidence-based best practices, create common goals for patient outcomes, address gaps in the current delivery of services and develop strategies to close those gaps to improve care for local residents. To measure each council’s progress towards their goals and centralize data pulled from multiple sources, we have developed Integrated Program Council Dashboards that are available now on our website. WWLHIN WWCCAC opens new Waterloo Clinic and expands Guelph clinic hours. St. Mary’s General Hospital Receives Award for Organ and Tissue Donation Guelph & Wellington County to Receive Safety Planning Grants. |