March 23 , 2006
Contact:
Bärbel Hatje
Corporate Communciations & Public Relations, LHSC
519-685-8500, ext. 75947
London Health Sciences Centre awarded accreditation
(LONDON, Ontario) - London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has again been awarded a three-year accreditation by the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation.
Accreditation is an extensive voluntary peer review process which studies and rates the quality of LHSC’s services against a set of national hospital standards. The survey itself included a review of documentation, team interviews, facility tours, and focus group meetings with LHSC staff and various stakeholders.
LHSC scored at or above the national average in all four of the quality dimensions: Responsiveness, System Competency, Client/Community Focus and Worklife. These ratings reflect the steady progression of continuous quality improvement efforts at LHSC.
The surveyors noted a number of successes, including CSTAR - Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics, the CCAC/Emergency pilot project, the FOCIS family orientation program in Critical Care, Milestone I, and Community Nursing in Cancer Care. The surveyors also provided several recommendations that LHSC is now reviewing to determine the next steps in moving forward. The report acknowledges that LHSC has implemented all the recommendations from the previous survey.
“Accreditation is a validation of our good work and provides us with an important opportunity to study ourselves, look at how we are doing, and rate ourselves against a set of national hospital standards. The survey results certainly reflect the commitment of our staff, physicians, volunteers and students to excellence in patient care,” says Cliff Nordal, President and Chief Executive Officer of London Health Sciences Centre. “Accreditation also provides insight into where we could make further improvements, and is key to our efforts of continuously improving the quality of work and care we provide our patients.”
LHSC is one of Canada’s largest acute-care teaching hospitals and is dedicated to excellence in patient care, teaching and research. LHSC has pioneered many national and international medical breakthroughs. Located in London, Ontario, LHSC encompasses three sites, South Street Hospital, University Hospital and Victoria Hospital; two family medical centres; and the London Regional Cancer Program. LHSC is the home of the Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario and CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics). The research arm of LHSC is Lawson Health Research Institute, which is partnered with London’s other teaching hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. LHSC is affiliated with The University of Western Ontario. Physicians and staff at LHSC number close to 8,000 and together they provide care for more than 600,000 patients each year.
