Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare Jurny of Qulity Imrvmnt - Coursework Example

MUSKOKA ALGONQUIN HEALTHCARE (MAHC) JОURNЕY ОF QUАLITY IMРRОVЕMЕNT Student’s Name Professor Course Date Table of Contents Contents Page 5. Quality Philosophies Adopted MAHC 8 6. Application of Quality Tools 10 7. The current or proposed management system used to manage the holistic quality nature of MAHC effectively 11 1. Conclusion 14 2.References 15 1. Abstract The primary purpose of this paper is to provide to the health care organizations from Ontario with the guidance on how they can facilitate the aspect in the development of Quality Improvement Plan. Despite that there is a lot of effort put in place in towards the preparation of this report; the document has its reservations. For example, the paper restricts on its reliance with respect to the use of legal, governance and other related content of advice with respect to the objective of enhancing quality plans and improvements. Further, the same organizations are at liberty to come up with designs of their strategies that relate to public quality improvement. In this case, they may use other alternative formats and contents as long as they present those versions that come with the provision for the instance of quality and improvement plans in Ontario. 2. Introduction Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) is an organization that serves the Muskoka Community through the provision of safe, quality and patient care at two main areas that are in Bracebridge and Huntsville. The organization aims at the delivery of the best services and also the provision of the top notch quality care that in the end will result in optimal or maximum outcome from patients (Lee, Li and Yates, 2015). As a way of showing this commitment, MAHC identified the outcomes from quality care and safety that patients deserve as one the five prime pillars found within the organization's Strategic Plan. Within the organization's 2015/16 Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), its design aims to ensure the leveraging of the forward momentum of the overarching quality and the safety culture. In this regard, the organization put in places such type of an environment that is safe for the patients and also the elevation of the best patient outcomes through the application of those cost-effective strategies. On top of this, the instance also stands a chance to make the organization to make the organization to be proactive through the anticipation and the respond to patients needs such as improved care transitions within the hospitals to the community (Lee, Li and Yates, 2015). That said all these aspects would take place through the collaboration with the partners of the organization. Fig 1: The current status of health spending in Ontario Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=Graphs+on+health+care+quality+improvement&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CEgQ7AlqFQoTCKGW-MiAnMgCFQZvFAodedUPGg&biw=1024&bih=657#imgrc=paOOg1SnEEluzM%3A 3. Quality Journey of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) MAHC current journey in quality improvement derives its roots from the esteemed patients and their families, the staff, physicians and also those who partner with the organization in health care matters. For example, the cooperation in execution of duties and also the engagement with the community in this case makes it possible for the patients to access the best care at the right place and also the right time for it altogether. With the intention of enhancing the support to the culture of quality through cooperation, the organization selected nine objectives of Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) (Chassin and Loeb, 2011). The selected objectives are in this way able to provide the direction and streamlining of the organization's focus on the improvement of quality and safety through: Reduction of waiting times in ED by improving accessibility Organization of financial health to enhance sustainability Reduction of wastage of time in acute care areas through putting improvements in safety Reduction of underserved hospital readmission to improve safety Ensuring the patient satisfaction and engagement so as to improve the organization’s values Putting in place medical reconciliation upon admission so as to improve safety Ensuring an improved safety through medical reconciliation after discharge Reduction of rates of infection in hospitals so as to improve safety Reduction of incidences of falls so as to also improve safety 4. Strategic Targets As an organization with the primary aim of ensuring quality in health improvements, MAHC has active participation in partnerships that, in this case, will ensure that the organization achieves its potentiality in the health care integrations. In this regard, the organization works widely in partnership with North Simcoe Muskoka (NSM) Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN where it intends to achieve successful implementation and integration of the health system plans by utilizing the Care Connections forum. At the same time, MAHC also works in collaboration with the local Family Health Teams (FHT) and Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) with the objective of enhancing care among the adults and also those persons with medical complications and, as a result, require linkages or assistance concerning the health situations (Gorenflo, 2011). Furthermore, the organization has a top notch relationship with their CCAC, who mostly dwells on the discharge planning and Home First. After entering in partnership, MAHC as at present creates a chain of interconnection of systems that promote shared care models and the end leading to the optimization of such transitions that on their part promotes good sharing and management of information. Through these chains of interconnected partnerships, the organization also enhances quality and safety improvements among the patients and their families especially through the simplification of the systems and their design which enhance their efficiencies. In this regard, MAHC shows commitment to the experience and the engagement of the patients through their journey towards health care (Gorenflo, 2011). Following the creation of Patient and Family Advisory Council, the organization's patient partners in this case have a chance to make their grievances be heard concerning the key decisions, strategies and also the expected changes that will lead to the attainment of results and also be in alignment with the organization's 2015/16 QIP. 5. Quality Philosophies Adopted MAHC MAHC's one of key philosophy concerns with the Patient- and Family-Centred Care, which aims at the provision of safety and quality, care through following certain service excellence tools. Such tools include the bedside shift report, the application of whiteboards on each and every patient's bedside. The instance also includes the translation of the information about this patient’s care and the leader who concerning the same patients and their families. On top of this, it does also not forget the post care telephone call that in this case makes it possible for the patients to access all the relevant medications to them plus even those medications that they need while recovering at their homes (Lee, Li and Yates, 2015). The presence of this tool makes it possible for the facilitation of integration among the patients plus their families within the healthcare team through factoring in the full partnership with respect to care. Apart from the philosophy of Patient- and Family-Centred Care, the other philosophy adopted by MAHC to enhance quality is the philosophy of engagement with clinicians and leadership within the organization (Handley, 2015). Through engaging with the clinical staff and the leadership of the organization, the instance, in this case, leads to the development of the organization's QIP in its broader perspectives or scopes. For example, the board members, senior persons, the top managers, prominent clinicians and also the representatives of the physicians presently collaborate towards the attainment of the organization's QIP. Most of the employees in MAHC in all its departments participate in the initiatives towards quality improvement programs such as LEAN, KAIZAN where, in this case, promote the quality care among the patients. On the same note, the same the organization also urges its employees to identify and also implement strategies that lead to improvement towards quality in every year. For example, in one particular year, MAHC implemented a total of two hundred initiatives towards quality that on their part have great strides towards improvement in the care given to patients. Elsewhere, leadership and the top management also participate in daily activities that seek to enhance quality such as those that identify the present safety issues and also the discussions on the urgent or the upcoming issues over the same. Added to this, the same senior management team of the organization also conduct weekly monitoring on the staff and the patients (Morrow, Nguyen, Shultz, Murphy and Mignano, 2012). In this case not only creates their presence to the patients and the staff bit also offers an opportunity for giving compliments and recognition of the staff from their excellent work plus also addressing or any upcoming concerns from them in particular. Apart from other partnerships, MAHC’s QIP originated partnership with the Quality Improvement Network in which also its development originated from North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (Fistula First: Journey From Last to First a Quality Improvement (QI) Project. 2012). The Quality Improvement Network all along is at the forefront of working together with the integration of MAHC's quality improvement plans and also working on the same towards achieving a common quality objective or agenda that also has with it common indicators on performance matters. The table presents how the executive provides ratings for compensation following three categories of assessment such as Quality, Financial and Strategic . Assessment Category Rate of Compensation in Percentage Quality 50 Financial 30 Strategic 20 Table 1: Rates of Compensations for risk assessment categories 6. Application of Quality Tools As already discussed before, MAHC came up nine QIP objectives as they seek to support the culture of quality through collaboration as they seek to direct and streamline the improvement in quality and safety (Low, Reed, Geiduschek and Martin, 2013). From each of the identified objectives, they both come with an indicator associated improvement supported by various underlying initiatives towards quality care improvement at the organization. Likewise, from the selected set targets or initiatives, they are for sure what will drive the organization and also make it achieve the improvements within the sector of Patient- and Family-Centred Care, quality, safety, access, efficiency, and effectiveness in future. In this regard, the initiatives will vary from the engagement with staff, huddles within the quality board and also the system that incorporates the various strategies found in Health Links and Home First (Esslinger, Kevech, Anderson and Knowles, 2008). The instances were collaboratively developed, implemented, and also put into sustenance within the community partners. Not forgetting, the culture for MAHC also provides the support and encouragement to the high levels of quality care to each and every patient family provider during the interaction. Based on this notion, the organization believes through a spirit of unity, the organization can indeed build healthy communities that align with priorities from the regional and provincial levels. 7. The current or proposed management system used to manage the holistic quality nature of MAHC effectively Information management is one of the aspects that MAHC has in towards ensuring its holistic nature of quality improvement provision. For example information and information technology are they major aspects that make it possible for the organization achieves success towards attaining every new strategic plan towards attaining Quality Improvement Plans. In its bid to support effectiveness and efficiency in operations, it in this regard becomes essential for the organization to have IT systems that can manage the information without any hitch though out the organization (Banerjee, 2007). Similarly, sharing of information between the providers plus the complete the delegation of care will lead to the optimization of the patient experience. On top of this, the instance will also enhance the maximization of the quality of care administered to all areas within the patient's scope. MAHC as an organization working to its QIP objectives also has commitment in the implementation of large-scale information technology project that in the end would lead to transition in the organization from that is more on paper to that which is electronic based. After switching domains, MAHC as at now has plans in place in the launch of Cerner electronic medical record with time to come (Gorenflo, 2011). If successful, the electronic medical recording will stand out to be the best practices and also provide the company with that tool that will lead to the standardization of the provision of care. By enhancing standardization within the organization, it will, in this case, ensure that the patients access the best and also the highest quality of care. 8. Challenges, Risks & Mitigation Strategies The biggest challenge to MAHC is the fiscal constraints due to its operations. For instance, to run a sizeable organization covering a large geographical area indeed requires a majority of stakeholder's engagement plus also the creativity especially when carrying out the execution of important changes (Chassin and Loeb, 2011). Within a lean and an efficient organization, the issue of passing on the challenges and risks that relate to provincial financial allocation added with the increase in the obligatory initiatives may lead to the decline in the chances associated with finance and resource inhibitions. Despite these challenges, currently, MAHC still provides a variety of clinical services that offers support to Muskoka community and also in a manner that appears fiscally responsible. MAHC being that it is an established organization continues to focus their attention on the provision of quality and efficiencies through its operations. As a way of ensuring support towards this focus, MAHC presently is in the process of developing the strategic Master Program/Master Plan. From this plan, it is what will make it easy for the organization to partner with the local community, their LHIN, and health care providers at all levels within Muskoka and the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN. In this regard, the work will focus on the sustenance of top notch quality care to the residents of Muskoka in the long term of operation and its implementation altogether. That said engagement of the broad stakeholders and other consultations was for sure the main theme of the Master Program/Master Plan initiative and the same instance will go on for the subsequent 2015/16. Fig 2: Ontario’s medium term fiscal plan Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=Graphs+on+health+care+quality+improvement&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CEgQ7AlqFQoTCKGW-MiAnMgCFQZvFAodedUPGg&biw=1024&bih=657#imgrc=7UM2KDeRxaYoXM%3A Geographical mileage that MAHC operates has with risks that also cover the financial matters of the organization. Based on this regard, MAHC put investment in the development of the quality improvement expertise within its leadership team (Kane and Mosser, 2006). For example, the instance includes the development of LEAN capacity in the all the organization's levels. The decision to carry on with this investment support so far offers the assistance to the senior management team and also top leaders in the identification of the basic opportunities for improvement. The instance, in this case, enables the organization to realize faster wins that contribute to the liberation of the stakeholders in support and building of the momentums useful for change and success in particular. 1. Conclusion MAHC remains an evidence-based organization and also is in continuous advancement on the evidenced based care coupled with the adoption of the best practices contained in the Quality Based Procedures. However, the instance has no limitations to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and stroke. On top of this limitation also covers the reduction in the readmission within a thirty day period for certain case mix groups and also the reduced ED wait times for the patients referred for admission. Following this instance, will always be at the forefront of seeking partnerships and strategies that in their long run will lead to the improvement of the fiscal health plus systems of health funding added with their reformations as defined within the organization's QIP. Finally, MAHC's commitment to the Patient and Family Centred Care remains with no exception in the realization of success in the organization's Quality Improvement Plan. For example, by involving patients plus their families in making decisions that may affect their care and how they receive remains the strategic objective of MAHC. In this regard, the role remains the voice of the patient and family as defined within the organization's strategic plan with the objective of enhancing a powerful drive on agenda on quality. 2. References Banerjee, P. 2007. Technology of culture: the roadmap of a journey undertaken. AI &Soc, 21(4), pp.411-419. Chassin, M. and Loeb, J. 2011. The Ongoing Quality Improvement Journey: Next Stop, High Reliability.Health Affairs, 30(4), pp.559-568. Esslinger, E., Kevech, M., Anderson, D. And Knowles, B. 2008. Home Health Quality Improvement National Campaign.Home Healthcare Nurse: The Journal for the Home Care and Hospice Professional, 26(7), pp.398-405. Fistula First: Journey From Last to First a Quality Improvement (QI) Project. 2012. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 59(4), p.B26. Gorenflo, G. 2011. Journey to a Quality Improvement Culture.Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 17(5), pp.472-474. Handley, A. 2015.A solid basis for improvement.Nursing Standard, 29(30), pp.64-65. Kane, R. and Mosser, G. 2006. The challenge of explaining why quality improvement has not done better.International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(1), pp.8-10. Lee, E., Li, N. and Yates, A. 2015.Magnet Journey: A Quality Improvement Project—Implementation of Family Visitation in the PACU.Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 30(1), pp.39-49. Low, D., Reed, M., Geiduschek, J. and Martin, L. 2013.Striving for a zero-error patient surgical journey through adoption of aviation-style challenge and response flow checklists: a quality improvement project.Pediatric Anesthesia, 23(7), pp.571-578. Morrow, C., Nguyen, Q., Shultz, R., Murphy, J. and Mignano, M. 2012.A Local Health Departmentʼs Journey to the Summit.Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 18(1), pp.63-69. Read More