18 September 2009
The following story is an illustration of how Infonium's EmergAlert product has successfully automated a process between the two hospitals and CCAC in the Central West LHIN.
Central West Hospitals and CCAC Partner to Improve Communication
-- reprinted with permission from “Central West CCAC Community Currents”, Issue 1, Spring 2009, p. 5.
Over the past four months, Central West CCAC, William Osler Health Centre, and Headwaters Health Care Centre have been working together to implement an Emergency Department (ED) Notification System. Funded through the Central West LHIN, the system was created to help improve client care and reduce ED wait times.
“When a CCAC client presents in the Emergency Department, Central West hospitals are now better able to alert us that he or she has arrived,” says Dilys Haughton, Senior Director of Client Services at the Central West CCAC.
“This allows us to begin working directly with the client’s care team to support the client in healing and returning home. We’re able to strategize with the hospital from the outset, to determine if the client’s needs can be met in a setting other than the emergency department. In many cases, becoming involved sooner in the process can help us expedite the client’s transition home.”
That transition home is exactly the type of support that can help keep emergency departments running smoothly.
“The ED Notification System is strengthening our ability to communicate with the Central West CCAC,” says Lori Miller, Program Director of the Emergency Department & ICU, Headwaters Health Care Centre. “When the system flags a patient in our emergency department as a CCAC client, we work with the CCAC to determine if alternate forms of care are appropriate. In some cases, we’re able to discharge a patient knowing that he or she will be connected with CCAC services at home. This results in fewer repeat visits to the ER and reduced admissions.”
Not surprisingly, the ED Notification System got off the ground as a result of the partnerships between all stakeholders. Lena Louie, Project Manager at William Osler Health Centre, puts it this way:
“This project has been a success due to the commitment, work efforts and collaboration of William Osler Health Centre, Headwaters Health Care Centre, and Central West CCAC.”
Citing “teamwork that included a collection of great minds, skills, talents and agility,” Lena notes that the system was launched expeditiously so it could be put to immediate use. “It was important to get this off the ground quickly to realize the system benefits and the value it brings to all stakeholders.”
Mimi Lowi-Young, CEO of the Central West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), agrees that both the project itself and the partnerships it leveraged speak volumes about our collective ability to serve the residents of Central West.
“The Central West LHIN is pleased to fund this initiative,” she says. “Reducing emergency department wait times is a key provincial priority, and part of the solution is moving people out of the hospital and into more appropriate care settings, more quickly.”
“The combined efforts of our hospitals and CCAC in Central West are helping us to do just that. This project is a true testament to the strength of partnerships in our community.”
Infonium develops enterprise application software for the Canadian healthcare industry. Infonium's software dramatically improves accountability evaluation and reporting for health system users and administrative efficiency within hospitals. Infonium's software is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing systems and to enable healthcare transformation across Canada.
Contact:
Jason Bellaire
Director, Public Relations
Infonium Inc. - Software for Healthcare
Mobile: 613-292-4426
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it