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Patient flow
St. Mary’s recognized for ER
improvement
 KITCHENER, Ont. –
Ontario is recognizing a Kitchener hospital for significantly reducing
emergency room wait times and improving patient care in its emergency
room (ER).
St. Mary’s General Hospital has reduced wait times for admitted patients
by 43 percent since April 2008. The hospital achieved this success by
creating a real-time picture of patient flow in the ER and streamlining
existing processes. Also, highly-skilled nurse practitioners now assess
and treat patients with less-serious conditions more quickly.
“I am very pleased that our team of staff and physicians has been
recognized for their tremendous effort to ensure improved patient flow
through our Emergency Department and reduced wait times for patients and
families in the community,” said Moira Taylor (pictured), President of
St. Mary’s General Hospital.
As part of its Pay-for-Results program, the McGuinty government is
providing the hospital with one-time performance funding of $530,000 for
sharing best practices with other hospitals to help them improve emergency room performance.
Reducing ER wait times is part of the government’s Open Ontario Plan to
provide more access to health care services while improving quality and
accountability for patients.
• St. Mary’s Hospital will use the funding to teach other hospitals
about its success and lessons learned and to take steps to further
improve ER wait times.
• In April 2008, patients with complex conditions spent 10.9 hours in
the emergency room for treatment. Today they spend on average 8.4 hours.
• In April 2008, patients with uncomplicated conditions spent 5.5 hours
in the emergency room for treatment. Today they spend on average 4.6
hours.
As part of its plan to improve ER performance, and consistent with its
commitment to transparency and accountability, the government of Ontario
has set provincial targets for time spent in the ER and is moving
forward with public reporting of the time Ontarians spend in the ER.
This initiative is a key component of the government’s comprehensive ER
Strategy announced in May of 2008 and is fundamental to improving
performance and patient satisfaction.
A summary of Ontario’s ER performance can be found at:
http://edrs.waittimes.net/en/provincialsummary.aspx
Posted June 3, 2010
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