News archives

23 Aug 10

Emergency Department Renovations Currently Underway

The exam room E and the trauma room in the Emergency department are currently under way and should be completed on Friday, September 3rd.

The objective of these major renovations is to improve the functionality and efficiency of our Emergency Department by expanding the trauma and E rooms and by adding sliding glass doors between the two. This will greatly widen our work space during trauma cases.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but your patience during this time will be greatly appreciated upon you next visit.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

15 Jun 10

The Emergency Department Improvement Program 2009-2010, a success!

Hawkesbury – The Hawkesbury & District General Hospital announced today the results achieved in the Emergency Department following the implementation of a comprehensive program launched in September 2009 to improve the service with the financial support of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network. This project is aimed at the reduction of waiting times, the acceleration of patient flow through the various stages of care and the standardization of professional standards of practice.

Prior to start-up, key staff were first trained in process management using the Toyota « LEAN® » method. Following this training program, working groups were put together to address the issues and identify remedial actions. In October 2009, a first series of improvement measures were put in place. Of these, five priority measures were implemented immediately.

1) A second medical line called “Fast Track” for non-complex cases;

2) A clinical decision unit for complex cases;

3) Accelerated admission procedures;

4) The implementation of an innovative medical directives system to facilitate care processes;

5) An improved process for registration and triage.

These measures were monitored and adjusted over the following 6 months.

As of March 31^st, 2010, the H&DGH had achieved the performance targets set by the LHIN for Emergency Department length of stay. In effect, for non-complex cases, the average length of stay was down to 2.7 hours and 82% of the patients were discharged in less than 4 hours, which meets the recommended standards of the Ministry of Health. This represents a 60% improvement compared to previous year. As for complex cases, significant improvements were also achieved. The average length of stay went from 9.1 hours as of March 31, 2009 to 6.2 hours as of March 31, 2010. Preliminary data from April 2010 indicate that the improvements are being sustained.

“This is by far the largest quality improvement project to be undertaken by the H&DGH”, said Manon Lacelle-Lacroix, Chief Governance Officer. Dr. Luc Chagnon, Chief of Staff, and Dr Remi Chehade, Chief of Emergency Department were pleased to indicate the active involvement of physicians, nurses and employees of the Emergency Department. Marc LeBoutillier, CEO, explained that amongst the 40 hospitals in Ontario to receive financial support to improve their Emergency Departments, the H&DGH came out at the top of the list for its improvement rate and rapid turn-around.

The Champlain LHIN has recently authorized H&DGH to proceed with a new improvement plan for 2010/2011, which will allow the hospital to consolidate gains and introduce new efficiency measures.

28 Jun 10

Historic Partnership between the H&DGH and CHEO!

Hawkesbury, June 28th, 2010 - The Hawkesbury & District General Hospital, in its ongoing efforts to become a regional health campus from which the whole community, young and old, can receive quality health care, has signed a partnership agreement with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) to offer specialized services to our region’s children and youth.

The agreement was officially presented today at the H&DGH in the presence of members from both hospitals, along with Dr. Rob Cushman, Chief Executive Officer of the Champlain LHIN. “This historic agreement is perfectly aligned with the strategic directions the LHIN has provided to the region’s healthcare service providers,” explained Dr. Cushman, “and will serve as a model of collaboration for many similar partnerships to come in the Eastern Counties.”

“Over the course of the next few years, the H&DGH will gradually implement various clinics and programs for the welfare of our younger population,” detailed Dr. Luc Chagnon, H&DGH Chief of Staff, “CHEO’s best practices in mental health and asthma treatment, for example, will be transmitted to the H&DGH via teleconferencing.” An introduction to the latest techniques in asthma treatment was presented by Dr. Joe Reisman, CHEO’s Chief of Pediatrics, providing up-to-date information to the H&DGH’s medical staff.

A commemorative framing of the agreement was also unveiled by the hospitals’ respective Chiefs of Governance; Mr. Sébastien Racine of the H&DGH and Mrs. Joanne Levesque of CHEO. Mr. Michel Bilodeau, CHEO’s Chief Executive Officer, proudly described this partnership as “the initiation of a long-lasting affiliation between two high-quality healthcare institutions, all for the benefit of future generations.”