Quality Improvement Plan

The Excellent Care for All Act (ECFAA), which came into effect in June of 2010, included a requirement that all hospitals create and make public annual Quality Improvement Plans. With the plans, every hospital in Ontario will now be required to set targets aimed at making improvements in the areas of Safety, Effectiveness, Access and Patient-Centredness.

We are accountable for achieving these targets and reporting to the public on their our performance and plans for improvement.

We have been given a standardized planning template that must be completed by April 1 of each year and then submitted to the Ontario Health Quality Council, so that the OHQC can report on province-wide results. The first plans are due by April 1, 2011.

Our Board of Directors will be responsible for overseeing the creation of the plans themselves, but it’s important that everyone at SBGHC understands that they have a role to play in improving the quality of care.

Quality Improvement
Quality improvement is an ongoing priority that helps us continually find new and better ways of doing things so that we can enhance care for patients, increase satisfaction and achieve even better clinical outcomes.

Our Quality Improvement Plan, or QIP, is one tool that we are using to help us document and review our current performance in a variety of areas. With this plan, we will be able to very clearly see our targeted areas for improvement and chart our progress.

Background on the Quality Improvement Plan
In June 2010, the Ontario Government passed the Excellent Care for All Act. This legislation will help support hospitals to further improve the quality and safety of care they provide for members of our community.

One of the ways that the Excellent Care for All Act  is helping hospitals meet our community’s expectations regarding quality, patient safety and accountability is through the public reporting of Quality Improvement Plans (QIP).

Quality Improvement Plans provide a meaningful way for South Bruce Grey Health Centre to clearly articulate our accountability to our community, patients and staff. Our QIP is focused on creating a positive patient experience and delivering high quality health care.

Information for Patients and Families
Q - How is the QIP developed?
A – The Board of Directors for South Bruce Grey Health Centre and our Quality Committee are responsible for overseeing the development of the Quality Improvement Plan. The members of our Board and the Quality Committee work closely with our community and with our team of health care professionals to determine areas where we are doing well and areas where we have room for improvement. From there, we set targets for the organization, which are reflected in the plan.

Q - Can the QIP be used to help patients choose a hospital?
A – Patient safety and high quality care is a longstanding priority for our hospital. The Quality Improvement Plan does not change that. The plan is one way that we are keeping our focus on constantly doing better. You may want to talk to a member of your health care team about how we are doing in a specific area, but know that we strive to provide every patient with the best possible care.

Q - What timeframe does the QIP cover?
A – Quality Improvement Plans are completed, submitted to the Ontario Health Quality Council and posted publicly annually at the start of each fiscal year, April 1st.

Q - Where can I find out more information about the Excellent Care for All Act and quality improvement plans?
A – Please visit www.ontario.ca/excellentcare for more information about the legislation and its requirements, including the Quality Improvement Plan.

DOWNLOAD SBGHC QIP (PDF)

ATTACHMENTS (PDF)