Providence Health Care receives Patient Safety Champion Organization Award
At Providence Health Care, we are proud of the work we’ve done to put patients first, so when patients themselves commend us, we know we are on the right track. On October 30, PHC’s David Thompson was in Edmonton to accept the prestigious Patient Safety Champion Award, given by the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) and HealthcareCAN. But here’s what makes this award even more special - the nomination came from one of our patients.
Delia Cooper, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as a child, has been a member of the Patient Voices Network for several years. She helped PHC transform care for individuals with complex chronic conditions, and most recently she was part of the team that brought in the Rapid Access to Consultative Experts (RACE) program. This means family practitioners can speak directly with specialists and have patient treatment questions answered in approximately 10 minutes. It all translates into better, more timely care for patients.
“Providence Health Care is very supportive of patients who give their time and energy to improve the health system and make things better for others,” says Cooper. “You feel valued when participating and the input you provide is consistently used to improve patient and family-centred care throughout the organization.
The Canadian Patient Safety Institute also cited several other innovative new programs and policies at Providence, including the Professional Image Policy and Code H (Help) on the medical and surgical wards. PHC has more than 200 patient and family representatives who participate in many aspects of planning and operational decision-making, including the recruitment of executive staff.
“Providence Health Care has set a great example for everyone else to follow,” says Chris Power, CEO of the CPSI. “We commend them on their achievements and look forward to seeing the fruits of their labours continue to spread across Canada.”
HealthCareCAN applauds PHC as a remarkable example to follow. According to President and CEO Bill Tholl, we have “set the bar in terms patient-centeredness, empathy and respect for the most vulnerable of our society.”
The Patient Safety Champion Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to safer patient care by engaging patient and family as key players in the healthcare process. There were dozens of nominees submitted for consideration in this year’s awards.
