>KINGSTON, Ont. – A new report, released in June by Kingston General Hospital, tells the story of how the organization transformed itself to become a health system leader, recognized internationally for its leadership in Patient- and Family-Centred Care.

“Five years ago we created the KGH 2015 strategy to guide us into a new era,” says KGH President and CEO Leslee Thompson (pictured). “We spoke to thousands of people in the hospital and in the community to learn what we could do to make us a hospital everyone could count on and be proud of.”

In 2010 KGH was emerging from a difficult period when the province had stepped in to investigate and supervise operations. With a new leadership team at the helm, the hospital set out on a bold journey to transform the patient and family experience by pursuing an aim of Outstanding Care, Always.

The resulting strategy has focused KGH’s energy, action and resources and over the course of five years has transformed the organization on every level.

“There isn’t one area of the hospital that hasn’t gone through an incredible amount of change and we have accomplished more than any of us thought was possible,” said Thompson. “From delivering care during phase one redevelopment construction and moving patient care units so that carpets could be removed, to adopting new technologies, we have asked a lot and our people have risen to every challenge.”

Some specific improvements include:

• Introduced a new Patient- and Family-Centred Care model that ensures patients and families are included in all discussions and decisions about every aspect of their care and treatment.
• Engaged patients in every aspect of quality, safety and service improvement and now 60 Patient Experience Advisors are involved in over 400 projects, task forces, committees, and program councils.
• Sustained patient satisfaction with overall care at 95 percent over the past five years.
• Increased satisfaction with patient meals from 66 percent to 90 percent.
• Improved hand hygiene from 34 percent to consistently hovering around 90 percent.
• Eliminated regular outbreaks of C. difficile, there have been no outbreaks for more than 35 months.
• Removed the equivalent of five football fields worth of carpet from every patient area.
• Eliminated a $26 million operating deficit and continually delivered balanced budgets each year.
• Grew the capital budget from $3 million a year to almost $20 million a year to invest in the facilities, technology and equipment required to deliver Outstanding Care, Always.
• Reduced the annual utility budget by 16 percent through facility retrofits, saving $800,000 per year, which is redirected into patient care.

“Looking back, it’s easy to see just how far we’ve come and we couldn’t have done it without the tremendous dedication and hard work of everyone who works, learns and volunteers at KGH,” says Thompson.

To view the 5 year report and learn more about our journey towards Outstanding Care, Always, visit www.kghconnect.ca/kgh-journey.