Neuronavigation - 1 of 5 MUHC Leading Practices Recognized by Accreditation Canada
Montreal, November 9, 2010 – The MUHC is proud
to announce the successful conclusion of Accreditation Canada’s
2010 assessment. The MUHC scored highly across the board, gaining
conditional approval with an overall evaluation of 91.5%.
Additionally, the MUHC is proud to announce that Accreditation
Canada recognized five programs as Leading Practices, making this
one of the best accreditation results in recent years.
“The MUHC is proud to conceive and implement programmes and
procedures that are redefining the quality of patient care, safety
and accessibility for the future, as well as that of healthcare
governance and environmental stewardship,” notes the Hon. Arthur T.
Porter, MUHC Director General and CEO. “We thank Accreditation
Canada for recognizing some of our leading practices and commend it
for providing easy access to the information so organizations
throughout Canada can learn from each other and have significant
impact on the quality of life of their communities.”
The five Leading Practices at the MUHC recognized by Accreditation
Canada in the 2010 accreditation are:
o Neurosurgical Navigation Program –
Established about 10 years ago in the Department of Neurosurgery,
the unit’s main objective is to make operations more precise, less
invasive and help patients and their families understand surgical
procedures. The team, comprised of technicians Manny Podaras
and Richard Barecki and bio-medical engineer Kelvin Mok,
collaborates with neurosurgeons in planning all cranial
procedures. By reconstructing the head, brain, blood vessels
and lesions in 3-dimensions and using a stereotactic pointer, all
phases of the surgery can be reviewed by the surgical team before
the start of and during the actual operation. The members of
the neuronavigation unit also work closely with researchers in the
McConnell Brain Imaging Centre to continuously improve image guided
surgery.
o Tracheostomy team – Established at the
Montreal General Hospital and then expanded to The Neuro and Royal
Victoria Hospital, this team brings a coordinated approach to
tracheostomy care. The programme has improved communication between
professionals and increased efficiency of care, as well as improved
patient comfort and decreased complications that might cause their
return to the Intensive Care Unit. Two research studies conducted
at the MUHC have verified these positive results.
o Clinical Triage Process at the Montreal Chest Institute
(MCI) – In order to streamline care and improve patient
safety, the MCI team conducted a thorough review of emergency
visits by patients suffering from asthma and Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Their findings helped more clearly define
the needs of patients through the establishment of priority levels,
linked to specific timely actions, such as investigative tests,
treatments, discharge plans or transfers. The protocol has resulted
in a marked improvement in patient flow efficiency and reduced wait
times for patients.
o Intensive Ambulatory Care Service / Clinical
Investigation Unit (CIU) – The mission of this
multidisciplinary team at The Montreal Children’s Hospital is to
provide safe, effective and family-centred care to children with
complex medical needs in their home environment. For families, the
most immediate benefit of the programme is the prompt return home
of their loved ones. The discharge process frequently involves home
visits to ensure the transition is smooth. The team provides
day-treatment visits, and offers 24/7 on-call coverage, and works
with schools, rehabilitation services and families to ensure that
each child has access to important services as close to home as
possible.
o Reduction of Residual Materials – The
Construction, Renovation and Demolition Waste Disposal Policy and
its associated programme led to the launch of two major
renovation/demolition pilot projects that had an 84% waste
diversion rate of residual materials, which exceeds the LEED®
standard. These projects took place at the Montreal General
Hospital and contributed to the institution being awarded Level 3
BOMA BESt certification in March 2009, a Pilier d’or in
2009 in Environment from the Association des Gestionnaires de Parcs
Immobiliers Institutionnels (AGPI) and a position as one of the
three finalists in the Management of Residual Materials category
for the Phénix de l’environnement awards shepherded by the
Government of Quebec.
Accreditation is an important step in ensuring the quality and
safety of services offered by healthcare providers. As part of the
on-site survey process, Accreditation Canada surveyors identify
Leading Practices, which they consider to be commendable examples
of high quality service. These practices are published by
Accreditation Canada each year as models for other healthcare
organizations to follow as they strive to improve their own
services.