Our
COVID-19 Response including management of the Assessment Centre, Call Centre, guidance and support for long-term care residences in our community, collaborative PPE sourcing efforts, collaborative patient access and flow efforts, as well as daily management at the hospital. The pandemic influenced so much about how we manage our daily activities both at the hospital, in our communities and at home. Collaboration and teamwork were the cornerstones to our success.
Collective work as part of one of the original 24 Ontario Health Teams,
the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative. Along with our 40 partners, we established a Remote Patient Monitoring Program operated by our Dufferin County Paramedic Service, launched a Caregiver in the Hills’ Caregiver I.D. Program to provide recognition of the role of caregivers, improved mental health and addictions services and much more. For details on all the work underway visit:
www.hillsofheadwaterscollaborative.ca.
Participated in a
multi-site research project that uses data pulled daily from our health information system to help identify patients who may benefit from a palliative approach to care.
Introduced several new online tools which increase access to health records. We also partnered with three other hospitals to upgrade our
health information system (Meditech Expanse) in early Spring 2021. This has been a mammoth undertaking and the final push to go live in early 2021 will be a main focus for staff and physicians across our hospital sites.
Launched a new intranet platform featuring electronic
staff recognition program and created a new
patient e-card system. Now, more than ever it is important for us to take pause and celebrate the tremendous contributions of our colleagues as well as find ways to ensure loved ones can remain connected.
Developed a new electronic resource database in our Pharmacy Department that delivers time sensitive drug information and introduced a new software in our Nutrition Services Department that improves our entire food services program.
Recruited over nearly 400 positions in various capacities on our team including a new Vice President, Corporate Services & Chief Financial Officer, Cathy van Leipsig; Pediatrician, Dr. Woolnough and Emergency Department Physician, Dr. Yuchen (Richard) Tang. We also welcomed Telecheck Dufferin to the Headwaters Family.
Two of our Family Practice Physicians, Dr. Stephen and Dr. Stephanie Milone, were honored as
Outstanding Doctors by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for their mentorship, advocacy of rural communities and volunteer work.
We also celebrated family physicians,
Dr. Charlie Joyce and
Dr. Michael Gagnon, as recipients of the Dr. David Scott Award. As well, the
COVID-19 Assessment Start-Up Team and
the Long-Term Care Response Team were recipients of the Chairperson’s Award at last year’s Annual General Meeting.
Our Patient Family Advisory Partnership launched a new
Patient Declaration of Values designed to help us understand what matters most to patients, families and caregivers and develop a culture that is important to them in the delivery of care.
We refreshed our
Accessibility & Equity Committee and established a designated email account for all accessibility and equity matters that is accessible internally and externally via
accessibility@headwatershealth.ca.
Our hospital gardens and grounds continue to evolve under the leadership of our
Friendship Gardens volunteers. The Credit Valley Conversation partnership has helped expand the native saplings and shrubs on the hospital’s property. You can now tour the Gardens virtually using their new app available at
www.friendshipgardens.ca.
Renovations to our campus including the Joan & Paul Waechter Welcome Centre, main entrance and adjacent patio as well as the successful installation of a back-up generator. While much of this work has taken longer than anticipated we look forward to hosting a virtual grand opening sometime in 2021.