Vaughan/Richmond Hill, ON – Mackenzie Health is pleased to announce that its Smart Pumps for Safety Implementation Team received the Healthcare Safety Award from the Canadian College of Health Leaders on Sunday, June 9, 2013, in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The Mackenzie Health Smart Pumps for Safety Implementation Team worked for over a year on planning and implementing the infusion pumps across the hospital. Smart Pumps are equipped with sophisticated drug libraries and IV medication error-prevention software that alerts clinicians when a pump setting is programmed outside of pre-configured limits. Mackenzie Health’s decision to purchase and implement Smart Pumps was driven by the need to provide safe and quality patient care.
The implementation of Smart Pumps was a multi-million dollar project that involved a large interprofessional team. The team developed practice infrastructure that included policies, centralized equipment process and a comprehensive educational program that leveraged the opportunity to hardwire best practices in the delivery of infusion therapy. Once the infrastructure was created, an extensive training program was developed and provided to all nursing staff. The achieved goal was a new standard of practice which ensured that every patient would receive IV medications or fluids though an infusion pump.
The return on investment for patient safety and quality care has been clear. Over the course of last year, Mackenzie Health has used the pumps 327,969 times and prevented possible drug administration errors from ever reaching the patient. Additionally, access to real time medication administration data has transformed Mackenzie Health’s ability to audit the quality of our practice and adjust as needed.
The Healthcare Safety Award recognizes individuals and/or teams that are committed to improving workplace and/or patient safety within the healthcare environment through leadership, culture, best practices, innovation and change management expertise. As the recipient organization, Mackenzie Health was recognized during a special awards ceremony at the Canadian College of Health Leaders’ 2013 National Awards Gala and received an etched glass trophy and a cash prize of $1,000.
The Canadian College of Health Leaders is a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to developing, promoting, advancing and recognizing excellence in health leadership. For more information, please visit www.cchl-ccls.ca.
Quotes
“Mackenzie Health is committed to ensuring that patients receive the most cost-effective, safe and efficient care possible. The implementation of the Smart Pumps and the recognition received from the Canadian College of Health Leaders are an example of our dedication and commitment to creating a world-class health experience, and we are proud of this achievement.”
- Altaf Stationwala, President and CEO, Mackenzie Health
“The Smart Pumps for Safety project embodies the spirit of the Healthcare Safety Award and we strongly believe that it can be a model for other organizations to follow. The Smart Pumps for Safety Implementation Team exemplifies outstanding, innovative leadership qualities that have produced effective results for staff and patients at Mackenzie Health, and contributes to our relentless efforts to improve care to create healthier communities.”
- Jo-anne Marr, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mackenzie Health
“To make the implementation of the Smart Pump system across Mackenzie Health possible, everyone from the Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Team to pharmacists, biomedical engineering and frontline staff worked together in the development of infrastructure, education and rollout of our Smart Pumps implementation. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and commitment of every one of our team members, and I am very proud to have led this wonderful project and implement best practices across our organization.”
- Meredith Whitehead, Senior Project Manager, Professional Practice, and Smart Pumps for Safety Implementation Team Lead, Mackenzie Health
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Backgrounder on Mackenzie Health
Quick Facts at a Glance
- Mackenzie Health is a new regional healthcare provider for Southwest York Region offering much needed healthcare services through the Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, as well as a network of community services located in Vaughan, Richmond Hill and the surrounding communities.
- With over 600,000 residents in Southwest York Region, Mackenzie Health is proud to serve one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in Canada.
- In October of 2009, the Government of Ontario designated Mackenzie Health (formerly York Central Hospital) to plan, build and operate the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital. Since that time, Mackenzie Health has moved quickly through the government-mandated planning process and has approval to issue tender documents in 2014/15.
- The new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital will be the first new hospital to be built in Southwest York Region in 50 years.
- Construction on the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital is scheduled to begin in 2015/16.
- Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital will be completed and operational in 2019.