Message from Board Chair Kip Woodward

On behalf of the Board of Vancouver Coastal Health, I extend a sincere congratulations and appreciation to everyone for their outstanding contribution to achieving regional accreditation last week.

As many of you go about your important day-to-day work, it may be easy to overlook what an accomplishment this has been. Overall, VCH passed 94 percent of over 4000 specific criteria focusing on quality, safety and health care delivery.

To achieve that across a regional spectrum – not just a single hospital or even Community of Care – is a great achievement and demonstrates that our commitment to putting People First is working. For example, the preliminary report by the Accreditation Canada survey team showed we met all 175 quality requirements (100 percent) in coordination of care across the continuum. We were almost as close in our efficient use of resources (98 percent) and accessibility (99.5 percent).  It is you – our dedicated team of staff, physicians and volunteers – who are responsible for that commitment and that success.

When sharing its findings, the survey team said VCH was a “strong organization” and that the surveyors saw examples of “world class” health care across our region. They told your Board how they saw evidence of a strong, values-based culture and that people at all levels showed a willingness to work toward a common goal rather than a “what’s in it for me?” approach.

Our commitment to family and patient engagement was referenced several times, as was the enthusiasm of our volunteers, our Community Engagement Advisory Network and even Decision Support and our use of data to improve quality and outcomes.

Of course there are areas for improvement and opportunities. In the coming weeks we expect to receive the final survey report along with our ranking from Accreditation Canada. That

Kip Woodward, Board Chair, Vancouver Coastal Health.

report will provide more specifics about where opportunities exist to further improve the patient experience and the care we provide and be shared among leaders as a learning tool.

As a Board, one of our main roles is to provide the governance necessary for all of you to make the maximum impact on improving the lives of those we serve.

It’s so gratifying to be recognized by highly experienced health care leaders from across the country – many of whom have experience with systems beyond our borders – as an organization that “walks the talk”. This puts us in highest standing amongst the rest of the country and something you should all be proud of.

Again, congratulations and thank you!

Kip Woodward
Chair, Board of Vancouver Coastal Health