MEDIA RELEASEFor Immediate Release |
LONDON, Ontario – “Because…Critical Care is a Need not a Place” is the model behind London Health Science Centre’s (LHSC) Critical Care Outreach Teams (CCOT), who recently celebrated their fifth anniversary.
Last year, these teams at University Hospital and Victoria Hospital responded to more than 2,000 calls. These calls were activated by members of the health care team when the patients outside of the intensive care unit (ICU) were determined to be at risk of becoming more sick.
“The Critical Care Outreach Teams have done an outstanding job and we congratulate them on their fifth anniversary,” says Bonnie Adamson, LHSC president and chief executive officer. “Their ongoing commitment is having a positive impact on our continuing efforts to improve access and quality of care for our patients.”
The specialized CCOT teams are comprised of critical care physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists. Together, they bring the skills of the ICU to the general ward to support and assist staff in managing and stabilizing seriously ill patients with the goal of improving patient outcomes. All patients discharged from LHSC’s ICUs are followed by CCOT to improve the transition from an intensely monitored area to a ward environment.
“The level of care required for patients in hospital is increasing in complexity as they often suffer from multiple diseases or disorders and present with increasingly complex illnesses,” says Judy Kojlak, Director, Critical Care. “The CCOT have improved patient outcomes, minimizing unnecessary critical care admissions by providing preventative measures before a patient becomes critically ill as well as facilitating transfer to an ICU in a timely manner when needed.”
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Sharing of knowledge with ward staff and providing unit specific educational in-services serves to enhance communication and collaboration between clinical teams, all with a focus on quality patient care and safety from a staff and patient perspective.
CCOT is a true testament to LHSC’s emerging vision of EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES • EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE • ENGAGING PARTNERSHIPS.
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 137 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, a joint research initiative with St. Joseph’s Health Care London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 50 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Rachelle Wood
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 77642
Rachelle.wood@lhsc.on.ca
Visit the LHSC Media web site at www.lhsc.on.ca/media
