Oct. 7 - Lakeridge Health Launches Comprehensive “Regeneration” Across Hospital Network
Lakeridge Health Launches Comprehensive “Regeneration” Across Hospital Network
Back to basics approach designed to help heal nursing and patient experience challenges
(Oshawa) Today Lakeridge Health announced a fundamental regeneration of the way it manages one of the largest community hospital networks in Ontario. Optimizing the size of all patient care units, ensuring consistent unit management and clerical support to nurses; and returning nurses to the bedside from overlapping, non-direct care jobs are all expected to enhance a healthy workplace and patient experience.
“Although far more complicated, many parallels can be made between a hospital and a home,” said Doug Allingham, Chair of the LH Board of Trustees. “Sometimes, a homeowner gradually adds layers of quick fixes to deal with immediate issues and short-term challenges. After a while, when one steps back and looks at the whole picture with a fresh set of eyes, you come to the conclusion that those changes have cumulatively resulted in something that doesn’t work as well as it could.”
“There are many great things happening at Lakeridge Health like the excellent care at the bedside and the training of future generations of healers & leaders,” said Kevin Empey, President and CEO. “However, over the years adjustments to meet short-term patient care, building and financial pressures have resulted in hospital sites with units too large and too small to offer the best possible patient experience and a healthy work environment for staff and physicians. Today, we’re getting back to basics – starting the process to regenerate our sites with manageably sized, optimal units; on-unit management and clerical support; and returning nurses to the bedside to care for our patients.”
Four (4) slightly overlapping positions will be eliminated with two (2) new distinct positions created. A Patient Care Manager will be on every unit (currently some managers cover multiple units across several sites) to support staff, physicians and ensure the unit runs smoothly. Each unit will also have a Patient Care Specialist who is responsible for a positive patient experience, continuing staff education and skill improvement, and the efficiency and quality of the care.
“We have been listening to our nurses and carefully considering the RNAO report to Lakeridge Health. There has been a gradual thinning of front-line, unit management to adequately support nurses; multiple layers of nurses and staff tasked with patient related but non-direct care responsibilities; and direct care nurses are increasingly pulled away from patients for administrative duties,” said Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, Chief Nursing Executive and VP – Professional Affairs. Lakeridge Health is increasing clerical support on every unit to relieve nurses of administrative work and is ensuring that nurses can provide (enact) the full scope of practice (services/care) for which they were educated and registered.
Currently, units can be as small as fourteen (14) beds and as large as forty (40). Lakeridge Health is realigning units across all sites to be between 24-30 beds – acknowledged as optimal. It will also allow units the flexibility to better manage patients requiring isolation in the event of an outbreak. This will require the movement of beds and staff within and between floors and sites.
“Although it’s easy to identify that change is needed, it can also be difficult when it comes. This comprehensive regeneration will require people to move from their current jobs and units to others and to take on different responsibilities,” said Kevin Empey.
Some Registered Nurse (RN) positions will be eliminated – most of the positions currently exist in non-patient care roles or are vacant. Additional Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) positions are being created. “For most staff it will simply mean moving from one floor to another or filling one of our current eighty-seven (87) nursing vacancies. Our clear goal is that most, if not all, nurses who want to continue working at Lakeridge Health will continue to be part of the LH family,” he added. As of Sept 24, 2009, full-time and part-time vacancies across LH included seventy-four (74) RN, thirteen (13) RPN positions.
Earlier this year, LH reduced senior management and brought in administrative cuts in the amount of $10.8 million – reducing its anticipated $24 million deficit to $13.2 million. It is expected that LH will benefit from about $8 million in savings due to improved efficiency (patient flow), and reductions in supply costs, overtime, and sick time through improved oversight. A small number of other administrative changes were also announced today.
Lakeridge Health continues to be one of the top 25% in efficiency when measured against its peer hospitals. The hospital network is currently awaiting word from the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care on funding relief. If insufficient to bring the hospital into a balanced budget position as required by the Central-East LHIN (CELHIN) and Ministry, the hospital will be required to develop a plan for further reductions (in front-line patient care) for CELHIN approval.
For more information, contact:
Leigh Winn-Kruck
Communications
(905) 576-8711 ext 4317 or lwinn-kruck@lakeridgehealth.on.ca
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