The Clinical and Systems Transformation (CST) project is well underway and coming to VCH, PHSA and PHC. The design sessions are sprinting along and detailed preparations for the first site implementation next spring have begun in earnest. In the meantime, the clinical transformation work of establishing common workflows and consistent practices continues, and will be an ongoing process over the next year.

Read on for answers to your top five CST-related questions!

1. What sites will be the first to implement the changes?

Group 1 is comprised of the Lions Gate Hospital campus and Sea-to-Sky facilities. These sites include HOpe Centre, Evergreen House and North Shore Hospice in North Vancouver, along with Squamish General Hospital, Hilltop House, Pemberton Health Centre and Whistler Health Care Centre. The team formally launched its implementation planning last week with Coastal leaders and activation is scheduled to begin in spring 2017.

The VCH-Coastal implementation will build on other CST-related initiatives, including developing consistent clinical practices and workflows and the construction of our Regional Pharmacy Production Centre, which is targeted to open in fall 2016 at Vancouver General Hospital and will serve VCH, PHSA and PHC.

2. How were the initial sites chosen?

The best way to begin a multi-site project like CST is with a mid-sized hospital with a wide range of clinical services, before moving on to more complex or specialty sites. That makes the Lions Gate Hospital campus a perfect fit. LGH also has an aging and fragile technology system (shared with the Sea-to-Sky facilities) that urgently requires replacement. The Group 1 sites were selected based on extensive consultation with leaders across our three organizations.

3. What about Group 2?

Coastal Group 1 will be followed by the BC Cancer Agency as Group 2. Group 2 includes the six BC Cancer Agency centres (the Abbotsford Centre; the Centre for the North; the Centre for the Southern Interior; the Fraser Valley Centre; the Vancouver Island Centre; the Vancouver Centre); plus screening clinics, satellite clinics and Community Oncology Network clinics.

Activation of Group 2 is tentatively scheduled to begin by early 2018. Precise timing will depend on what we learn in the first implementation. The sequence after Group 2 will be refined as we proceed with these first two groups.

4. What new functionality will be implemented under CST?

The CST project now includes enhanced oncology, ambulatory care, behavioural health (mental health and substance use services), provider documentation, bedside medical device integration, and physician voice-recognition dictation.

The shared clinical practices and system that we are developing form a true “enterprise” initiative, designed to meet the shared needs of VCH, PHSA and PHC. The implementation will vary by site, depending on the clinical services and workflows at each facility.

5. How will this clinical transformation meet the needs of physicians, staff and patients?

The CST project is taking an “Agile” approach to design that allows design work to be regularly shared with subject matter experts and broader stakeholders to ensure it meets their needs. All of the clinical design teams include subject matter experts who are health professionals at VCH, PHSA or PHC, and starting in June, clinical transformation workshops will be held at our patient care sites to review design and workflows, and gather feedback.

Have another question about the CST project? Visit CSTproject.ca or contact info@CSTproject.ca.

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“You would never go to a bank that worked on paper”