Getting Better Award – Felicia Laing, Audra, Andrew, SarahSuozzi and Jacquie Miller (left to right)
Releasing Time to Care (RT2C) at Squamish General Hospital & Richmond Hospital
This is a rigorously tested quality improvement program started at Squamish and Richmond General Hospitals in April 2012 empowers front line staff to drive quality change.
The difference
RT2C has demonstrated a number of benefits on the units it has been implemented. Two units at Richmond Hospital have shown a 29% average decrease in patient falls across four units. The “well organized ward” (WOW) model used that includes decluttering and relocating equipment and supplies has saved 663 nursing hours per year or 55 nursing shifts. And average patient satisfaction results at the Richmond Hospital nursing unit increased by 4% to 44% in four dimensions.
What does it mean to be recognized?
“It is an exciting time for us! It is wonderful that others have recognized the importance of encouraging frontline staff to be active participants in their own work environment. Our Nursing staff are proud of the work that they do and they will continue to advocate for excellence in patient care.” – Jacquie Miller, RN
“It is very exciting and an honour.There are many great improvement efforts being made across the province, so to be acknowledged with this award is amazing. We have seen a great improvement in our work environment through the hard work of our care team and are proud of what we have accomplished, so it is rewarding to have received the award for our work.”- Audra Leopold, LPN
What’s next?
The success has prompted Vancouver Coastal Health to develop an improvement system encompassing both Lean and RT2C methodologies to continue to spread the great work across the organization.
The team
Squamish General Hospital – Jacquie Miller, RN and RT2C Ward Lead; Marcia Kent, RN and RT2C Ward Lead; Nancy Haffey, Clinical Services Coordinator; Veronica Fincham, Educator; Cindy Sellers, Manager; Lorelei Grosser, Facilitator; Andrew Tung, Facilitator.
Richmond Hospital – Audra Leopold, LPN and RT2C Ward Lead; Sarah Suozzi, RN and RT2C Ward Lead; David Taylor, LPN and RT2C Ward Lead; Kirsten Poulsen, LPN and RT2C Ward Lead; Norm Greenway, Educator; Silvia Nobrega, Educator; Melanie Rydings, Educator; Cindy Klaver, Team Leader; Karen Young, Team Leader; Lindsay McArthur, Team Leader; Gail Malenstyn, Manager; Felicia Laing, Facilitator; Harjender Walia, Manager
Learn more
Learn more about Releasing Time To Care in stories here on VCH News.
- From the bottom up – The Releasing Time to Care team at Squamish General Hospital has reduced in-patient falls by more than 50 per cent.
- A new louder voice – The RT2C program at Richmond and Squamish General Hospitals recently won a B.C. Quality Award in the “Getting Better” category for improving the reliability, safety and efficiency of care for patients.
- Innovation through passion – Evaluation of the pilot project shows less staff sick time, less wasted time hunting and gathering supplies, less interruptions and ultimately more time spent on patient care.
Learn more about the award on the BCPSQC website.