Accreditation Canada has awarded St. Joseph’s General Hospital accreditation with commendation following a recent on-site survey, board chair Jim Bennett announced Monday.
The accreditation with commendation decision indicates a high level of compliance with national standards and that the hospital has well-established systems and processes to provide safe, high quality care and service, St. Joseph's said in a news release.
Three surveyors spent a week at the hospital and assessed care and services in almost every department, in both the acute-care hospital and The Views.
Surveyors reviewed plans and procedures and quality and safety programs. The surveyors also spent time in departments and on care units and spoke with community partners, board members, managers, staff, physicians, patients, residents and families.
While Accreditation Canada surveyors did spend some time in the laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments, laboratory and diagnostic imaging are accredited under a separate program; both of these departments were surveyed in 2013 and each received an accreditation designation.
“Achieving accreditation with commendation is really about teamwork at all levels," said Jane Murphy, hospital president and CEO. "I wish to thank our entire organization (staff, physicians, volunteers) for their commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and residents.
"The support from our Foundation, Auxiliary and many community partners is essential to us in achieving our mission. In particular, the support we receive from Island Health in enhancing our evidenced based practice, information systems and capital needs has been instrumental in our work.
"Also, the board of directors and the Bishop of Victoria have provided outstanding governance and support to the organization.”
Overall, the survey findings were positive. Some overall strengths included:
• Engaged and committed volunteer board;
• Dedicated staff, physicians and volunteers, creating a culture of patient/resident-centred care;
• Impressive emphasis on the care of the elderly;
• Strong engagement with community partners;
• Good use of an ethical framework;
• Continued enhancement of the physical environment.
“An important aspect of Accreditation Canada is the principle of continual improvement of care and services," Murphy commented. "Through the survey a number of areas were identified where we can continue to improve as an organization.”
Areas that the surveyors identified included:
• Continued work on transition to future role for St Joseph’s;
• Enhanced change management strategies;
• Continued decluttering of equipment and supplies throughout the hospital;
• Enhanced organizational wide risk and mitigation strategies.
“We found the Accreditation Canada survey to be a positive and helpful process to evaluate our organization and the services we provide to our community,” said Murphy. “Having an external and independent survey to assess our hospital relative to national standards is an important aspect of our quality improvement philosophy.
"Our commitment is learn from the accreditation process and continue to improve our care and services on an ongoing basis.”
— St. Joseph's General Hospital