OSHAWA — Following a recent evaluation from Accreditation Canada, Lakeridge Health has earned a Stroke Distinction™ designation for achieving excellence with its acute and inpatient rehabilitation stroke services at the Oshawa Hospital.
Accreditation Canada’s Stroke Distinction™ program is a rigorous assessment that aligns with the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations and recognizes excellence and an outstanding commitment to leadership in stroke care.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Lakeridge Health team,” said Cynthia Davis, President and CEO, Lakeridge Health. “These exceptional results build on our vision of One System. Best Health. They are a testament to our relentless focus and unwavering commitment to providing high-quality, safe, and timely stroke care close to home.”
From December 5 to 7, 2023, three surveyors from Accreditation Canada visited teams at the Oshawa Hospital to observe stroke services in action. While onsite, the surveyors evaluated Lakeridge Health against more than 200 standards. These standards are essential practices that organizations must have in place to enhance patient or client safety and minimize risk.
Accreditation Canada’s final report captures Lakeridge Health’s many successes, including:
- Engaged leaders, physicians, and staff who demonstrate commitment to quality stroke care.
- A culture of quality improvement and active participation in research and innovation.
- Collaboration in stroke care across the organization and with community partners.
- Teamwork among key stakeholders, including Patient and Family Advisors, using the organization’s Guiding Principles of Partnership and a focus on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism.
Lakeridge Health’s Oshawa Hospital is a District Stroke Centre. Stroke patients are brought directly by local paramedics to the Emergency Department (ED) where stroke physicians can administer the clot-busting drug, tissue plasminogen activator (tpA). The other EDs at the Ajax Pickering, Bowmanville, and Port Perry Hospitals have established processes to support rapid assessment and transfers of stroke patients to the Oshawa Hospital.
The Oshawa Hospital also has an Integrated Stroke Unit for in-hospital care and a Stroke Prevention Clinic for those who have had a stroke or are at high risk for having a stroke. In addition, there is a neurological Ambulatory Rehabilitation Centre at Lakeridge Health’s Whitby Hospital.
The Stroke Distinction™ designation builds on the results of Lakeridge Health’s 2022 Accreditation Canada survey of programs and services across the organization when Exemplary Standing was achieved – the highest possible level awarded.
In addition to these outstanding accreditation results, Lakeridge Health is also proud to be a Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO), which reflects the organization’s implementation of evidence-based Best Practice Guidelines that positively impact the health and well-being of patients.
"Accreditation and BPSO work are powerful tools in our efforts to embed quality improvement into every aspect of the care we provide as part of an exceptional patient and family experience,” adds Dr. Randy Wax, Chief of Staff, Lakeridge Health. “We look forward to participating in ongoing assessments to support best practices and informed planning.”
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About Lakeridge Health
With five hospitals, four emergency departments, three critical care units, a long-term care home, a full range of medical and surgical specialties, more than 20 community health-care locations and a state-of-the-art surgical centre within the soon-to-open Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre, Lakeridge Health offers some of the broadest and most comprehensive acute care, ambulatory care, and long-term care services in Ontario.
Lakeridge Health is also home to several regional specialty centres and services, including the Central East Regional Cancer Program, R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre, The Shoulder Centre, and eye care and chronic kidney disease services. Additionally, we are proud to serve our community with a full suite of inpatient, ambulatory, and community-based mental health and addictions services, and provide safe, high-quality, compassionate care in our state-of-the-art long-term care home, Lakeridge Gardens.
Guided by our vision of One System. Best Health. and supported by a dedicated team of more than 8,700 staff, physicians, and volunteers, Lakeridge Health is a proud member of the Durham Ontario Health Team (Durham OHT) and works in collaboration with the Durham OHT, as well as primary care, and community and government partners to foster a truly integrated, regional system of care. Together, we are focused on empowering people to live their best health and fostering an accessible, inclusive, and equitable environment for all.
For more information please contact:
Sharon Navarro
Manager, Public Relations and Digital Communications
905-435-7889
snavarro@lh.ca
