They came, they saw, they were amazed!
Well-deserved high-fives were the order of the day on at the staff debriefing Accreditation Canada surveyors held on November 30.
“This was a magnificent survey, one of the best surveys we’ve seen in the country for an integrated health system,” said Allan Bradley, co-lead surveyor.
Thirteen surveyors visited 20 sites and spoke to countless physicians and staff at every level during their visit November 26 to 30, assessing both the Vancouver Community of Care and VCH Leadership and Governance.
And the results were amazing — we met an unprecedented 98 per cent of the almost 2,300 criteria evaluated!
“A great, great day for our organization”
“We’ve never seen people so forthcoming as you’ve been,” said Allan Bradley. “That says to me that you’re very committed to continuous quality improvement.”
Co-lead, Theresa Fillatre, was equally impressed and encouraged us to sharing our quality work with the wider health community.
Both surveyors emphasized that staff were engaged, committed to People First and their patients/clients/residents, and always open to learning so they can provide the best care possible. “Quality improvement is supported by a rich mix of staff skills and talents,” Theresa said.
Acute and Community executive directors Vivian Eliopoulos and Joanne Bezzubetz applauded all staff for their contributions to the accreditation process and to what we do every day. They also singled out CEO Dr. David Ostrow for being “truly visible, accessible and caring.”
“This is really a great, great day for our organization,” concluded Board of Directors Chair Kip Woodward. “The work you do is big, and to hear about your teamwork, collaboration, learning – the Board is delighted to hear that we have the foundations of what makes an organization excellent.”
Individual commitment makes the difference
At the Vancouver Leadership Forum on December 5, the celebration continued (watch for the VLF webcast in an upcoming issue of VCH News).
Vivian said she was especially proud of the adjectives surveyors used to describe their visit – words like caring, supportive, enthusiasm, People First, quality, engagement, True North, companion, supportive and quality – all of which she sees every day on the front lines.
We’ll just get better and better
Whether you spoke to a surveyor or not, it’s your commitment to doing your best work every day that has led to this remarkable result. Patient care is what we do every day, and we’re doing a great job of it.
Accreditation Canada will issue its final report and forecast accreditation decision within two weeks. The surveyors’ report will identify areas for improvement, which can be incorporated into our ongoing quality improvement initiatives.
I have no doubt that we’ll continue to enhance our quality of care, and I see it as my job to create the environment and conditions to help you continue to do your best every day. Congratulations, everyone!
Watch the debrief, hear what the surveyors said
To experience the debrief yourself (it’s 1 hour in length), watch the webcast using one of these links:
Silverlight version: http://mediasite.mediagroup.ubc.ca/MediaGroup/Viewer/peid=f02472bdbf4148a0bce84187eae438381d
Classic Viewer version: http://mediasite.mediagroup.ubc.ca/MediaGroup/Viewer/peid=c1d7e0cfab974a12995f412d3d3a0d511d