It’s happening every day on units, boardrooms and in hallways across VCH, dedicated teams from every discipline working, often behind the scenes, to improve the quality of patient care. Whether it be to reduce rates of C difficile,  CAUTI, falls or to participate in initiatives like NSQIP or Releasing Time to Care, their passion and dedication is making a difference.

Last week, five of those teams were recognized at the 2014 Quality Forum, three received a BC Quality Award and two 2014 Storyboard Awards. Learn more about these innovative teams below.

Pecha Kucha anyone?

In addition to the awards, two VCH speakers were featured at  Health Talks, opening night of the Quality Forum.

David Ostrow, President & CEO, Vancouver Coastal Health and Audra Leopold, Licensed Practical Nurse, Richmond Hospital, shared their hopes for the future of health care in a fast-paced Pecha Kucha format. If you didn’t get a chance to see their inspiring presentation live, stay tuned here on VCH News,  we’ll let you know when they’re available to online.

2014 BC Quality Forum Winners

Staying Healthy Award
Transitioning Patients To and From the BC Cancer Agency and Vancouver General Hospital

Teams at VGH and the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA) who improved patient safety during transfers between facilities by focusing on improving communication through the development of standard forms, checklists and reports. Read more about the work of these VGH and BCCA teams and their award. 

Living With Illness Award
Rapid Access to Consultative Expertise (Providence Health Care, Shared Care Committee, & Vancouver Coastal Health)

Teams at Providence Health Care and Vancouver Coastal Health launched RACE in 2010 with the goal of improving the access patients with chronic disease have to health care. It is a phone line family physicians can use to contact specialists within the VCH region to get advice on the spot without having to submit a formal referral. Often family physicians and nurse practitioners can get specialist advice while their patients are still in the office and make changes to their treatment right away. Read more about the RACE team and their award. 

Getting Better Award
Releasing Time to Care at Squamish General Hospital & Richmond Hospital

This is a rigorously tested quality improvement program started at Squamish and Richmond General Hospitals in April 2012 and empowers front line staff to drive quality change. Read more about the Releasing Time to Care team and their award.

Storyboard winner
Implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) for Elective Colorectal Surgery

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocol (ERAS) is an evidence-based multimodal care pathway that has been implemented at VGH’s T8 & 9 units. They began their journey in February 2013 and went live with the full protocol in November 2013. Read more about the ERAS team and their award. 

Storyboard winner
Preventing ‎Cardiac Surgery Surgical Site Infections

This VCH team designed a strategy to reduce the Surgical Site Infection (SSI) rate for cardiac surgery patients by implementing best practices outlined by ACS NSQIP and Health Canada. The new processes included tightened antibiotic timing and antibiotic re-dosing during the operation, new dressing products and protocol for the surgical and harvest site and active warming of the patient once off cardiac bypass. Read more about the team and their award. 

Staying Healthy Award – Brendan Tompkins; Prab Gill; Lorraine Blackburn; Nancy Edge, Darren Kopetsky (left to right)

Living With Illness Award – Doug Cochrane Chair, BC Patient Safety & Quality Council; Margot Wilson, Delia Cooper: Garey Mazowita; Bethina Abrahams; David Thompson; Moe Baloo (left to right)

Getting Better Award – Felicia Laing, Audra, Andrew, SarahSuozzi and Jacquie Miller (left to right)

Storyboard winners – Andrea Bisaillon, Operations Director Surgical Services; Tracey Hong, Clinical Quality & Safety Coordinator; Markus Zurberg, Clinical Quality & Safety Coordinator; Barbra Drake, Clinical Quality & Safety Coordinator.(left to right)

BC Quality Awards

Visit the Awards page of the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council website