Joseph Brant Hospital Annual Report | Page 6

Quality & Safety ENHANCING OUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE IS AN ONGOING AND PRIMARY FOCUS AT JOSEPH BRANT HOSPITAL. DELIVERING ON OUR MISSION OF PROVIDING SAFE CARE, QUALITY CARE AND EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AT THE RIGHT TIME, IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND FOR EVERY PATIENT IS OUR TOP PRIORITY. Improved communication with our patients. KEEPING OUR PATIENTS SAFE I wanted to take the time to recognize the outstanding level of care and compassion that my son received from the doctor, nurses and paramedics in the Emergency room this afternoon. Every person we interacted with went out of their way to ensure that my son was happy and comfortable. My almost 3 year old son was in the ER to receive stitches in his chin, and this could have been a very frightening and unpleasant experience for him. Instead, he remembers the popsicles he got to eat, the paramedics who took the time to speak with him about the ambulances and the lovely nurses who spoke to him so nicely and sang to him while he got his stiches. I’m very grateful, not only for the high quality of care that he received, but also for the kindhearted spirits of each of the staff that we met. EMILY COMEGNA, JULY 2015 6 Joseph Brant Hospital It’s a busy time at shift change on our inpatient floors. Nurses who have been caring for patients all day need to share their knowledge with the nurses coming into the unit to care for patients all night. This important step is called Transfer of Accountability (TOA). TOA keeps our patients safe by providing consistency and a continuum of care. Previously this transfer of knowledge of our patient’s treatment was not standardized. In September, JBH implemented a TOA at shift changes at each patients’ bedside using a standardized report tool to assist nurses to deliver clear, concise reports about each patient. This was a collaborative effort rolled out by the Professional Practice Educators and the Managers. Congratulations to the teams for moving JBH to best practice TOA processes! With the transfer of accountability done at the bedside, our patients are engaged about safety issues and have improved communication, improving the overall patient experience at JBH.