May 26, 2010

Outbreak notification Rescinded at LDMH

Leamington, ON – The Windsor-Essex Public Health Unit has rescinded the c-difficile outbreak notification at Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH), effective Tuesday, May 25, 2010.  Since being put on outbreak on May 6, 2010 the hospital has implemented increased cleaning precautions, focused on the development of an antibiotic stewardship program and increased information and education to visitors regarding the utilization of personal protective equipment.

“The last new case of hospital-acquired c-difficile that we had at LDMH was on May 1, 2010 and all cases of hospital-acquired c-difficile were resolved by May 17, 2010,” said Tracey MacFie, Infection Control Practitioner.   The hospital will continue to monitor patients who may exhibit signs and symptoms of c-difficile which include: diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain.  The hospital will also continue with the increased cleaning precautions focusing on high-traffic public areas in order to maintain a high level disinfectant program.

“Even though we are no longer on outbreak status the public still needs to exercise caution when visiting the hospital,” explains Dr. Jim Gorrell, Chair of Infection Control Committee, “do not visit the hospital if you are feeling unwell and when you do visit please remember to clean your hands and follow any precaution signs and instructions.”

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For more information:

John Stenger, CEO

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

May 6, 2010

C-difficile Outbreak Precautions

in Place at LDMH

Leamington, ON – The Windsor-Essex Public Health Unit has put Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH) on a C-difficile Outbreak notice effective May 6, 2010 because of increased incidents of patients acquiring C-difficile while in hospital.  For the past two months, the rate of acquiring C-difficile at LDMH has been higher than the Community Hospital peer group average and therefore in order to ensure that everyone is exercising proper precautions an Outbreak notification was issued.  

“It should be noted that we are not talking about a high number of cases or patients,” says Tracey MacFie, the hospital’s Infection Control Practitioner, “in February we had 1 case, in March we had 2 cases and in April, 3 cases.  The Outbreak notification serves as a reminder to the public to exercise caution when and if they need to visit the hospital.” 

The public is reminded the following visiting procedures are in place:

• DO NOT VISIT if you are feeling unwell – specifically if you are experiencing diarrhea, abdominal cramping, pain or high fever.
• When you do visit please be sure to practice good HAND HYGIENE.  Ensure you clean your hands when entering and exiting the building, entering and exiting a patient’s room or when in contact with a patient.
• If your loved one is on Isolation precautions please ensure you follow the instructions of the staff and those posted on the door.

“C-difficile is not just acquired in the hospital, it is also acquired in the community and because our patients are compromised we have to make every effort to keep them well,” says Dr. Jim Gorrell, Chair Infection Control Committee, “we are going to work collaboratively with the Public Health Unit to ensure we are doing everything we can to stop any transmission of C-difficile within the hospital.”  Some of the actions that will be taken by the hospital include: reviewing antibiotic stewardship practices, ensuring contact precautions are in place for suspected cases and most importantly educating and informing the public about when to visit and proper hand hygiene techniques when they enter and exit the building.

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For more information:

John Stenger, CEO

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

May 5, 2010

LDMH Celebrates National Hand Hygiene Day

STOP – Just Clean Your Hands

Leamington, ON – Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH) is celebrating National Hand Hygiene Day by celebrating the dramatic improvement in hand hygiene compliance over the past year.  “The staff

and physicians have worked very hard to improve this very important patient safety initiative,” states John P. Stenger, CEO.

Throughout the past year the hospital has launched many initiatives to engage staff, physicians, volunteers and visitors in cleaning their hands before entering a patient care area, after treating or seeing a patient and after treatments and other procedures.  In the Fall of 2009 the hospital launched the “Ask Me if I’ve Cleaned My Hands?” campaign, and followed in the Winter 2010 with a “Your In Clean Hands” initiative.  In addition there have been regular audits of hand hygiene compliance completed by the Senior Management Team and the results reported monthly to the Board of Directors.

The results of the March audit as reported to the Ministry of Health and posted publicly on the hospital’s web-site, show that hand hygiene requirements were completed 72% of the time before entering a patient treatment environment, this is a 42% improvement from the results in 2009; and that there is 92% compliance with hand hygiene requirements after leaving a patient treatment environment, a 40% improvement from the same results in 2009.

“We would like to thank and recognize the hard work of our staff and physicians for achieving these much improved results,” notes Stenger, “we still have room for improvement but we are definitely seeing a change in habit and culture.” 

It is important to also remind the community that anytime they are entering or exiting the hospital, a patient room or treatment area, to clean their hands.  Clean hands are the number one way to stop the spread of bugs amongst your family and the community.

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For more information:

John Stenger, CEO

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

LDMH ACCESSIBILITY PLAN AND STANDARDS

In fulfilling our mission, Leamington District Memorial Hospital strives at all times to provide its goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are also committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access our goods and services and allowing them to benefit from the same services, in the same place and in a similar way as other customers.

LDMH has always had a very active and engaged Accessibility Steering Committee, whose role it is to identify and address accessibility issues.  Over the past year a new barrier identification survey was completed and a new plan was developed.  In addition The committee has worked very closely with the Municipality of Leamington’s Accessibility Committee to collaborate and get feedback on community barriers within the hospital.

 
A copy of our most recent Accessibility Plan can be found here.

One of the most important initiatives we have taken on as a hospital this year has been to provide all of our staff and volunteers with training on new customer service standards.  At LDMH we are committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities. 

A copy of our mot recent Customer Service Policy can be found here.

A copy of our most recent Service Animal Policy can be found here.

We recognize that not all members of our community can access this information in written format we would be happy to provide this information in other accessible means including: LARGE PRINT and audio tape for those who are visually impaired.  For an audio or large print copy of any of the hospital’s materials please contact Lena West, Patient Representative at lwest@ldmh.org.

One of our biggest challenges at the hospital is due to the age and design of the hospital it is often difficult to provide an accessible facility for people with physical disabilities.  As we plan new construction and renovate older areas of the hospital, we are incorporating accessibility requirements into all our designs!  Watch for more changes as we begin a number of exciting projects!

As always we would be very interested to hear from you our community!  To provide us with feedback please contact Lena West, Patient Representative at: lwest@ldmh.org.

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March 2, 2010

Statement Regarding Case Inquiries

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital, Leamington District Memorial Hospital and Windsor Regional Hospital are receiving a high volume of media inquiries about the surgical and pathology cases under review.

We appreciate media and others bringing information to our attention and will forward all cases that come to our attention to our internal and external reviewers.

As reported last week, an internal review is being conducted of past cases related to surgical errors and pathology reporting errors.

Because of the high volume of reports, the cases are being categorized in order of clinical significance and risk, with the highest risk pathology reports being reviewed first. The highest risk reports amount to approximately 3,500 cases. To date, over 1,100 cases have been reviewed with no discoveries that that affect patient treatment. At the same time the hospitals look forward to working with the review being conducted by the Ministry of Health and the LHIN.

Hospitals are responding to all patient calls promptly, and are working with patients directly on any issues that are raised.

The pathologists have been working on reviewing these cases since early February. It is anticipated that these cases will be fully reviewed within the next 3 weeks. Once the high risk reviews are completed, the hospitals will then turn their attention to low risk cases with no treatment implications. These cases will be reviewed methodically in the following months.

All three hospitals are committed to working with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Erie St. Clair LHIN and the external investigators announced yesterday. The hospitals welcome the opportunity to participate in this process in order to ensure that patients within our region and across the province are not only protected but have increased confidence in the care we provide.

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Contact:
Kim Spirou
VP Communications
(C)519.980.5767
(O)519.973.4433

March 1, 2010

Windsor/Essex Hospitals Welcome the Appointment of Expert Investigators

The three Windsor/Essex hospitals, Hotel-Dieu Grace, Leamington District Memorial and Windsor Regional Hospital today welcomed the formal announcement by Minister of Health Deb Matthews, to appoint three experts to review and report on issues related to the recent allegations of surgical errors and pathology reporting errors provided to the hospitals from Windsor Essex Pathology services.
Minister Matthews indicated last week that the Ministry and the hospitals believe it important to have people from outside take a look so that we all know what happened — what lessons we have learned and what else we need to do to prevent this from happening in the future.
The Hospitals’ CEOs, Chiefs of Staff and Board of Directors maintain that the primary concern is patient care and they pledge to work with the experts to ensure that they have all the information and access that they need to complete their review.

The Hospitals are confident that an independent review will help to restore confidence in the system and provide recommendations for the benefit of the entire system. As stated by Minister Matthews it is “incumbent upon all of us who are involved in the health system to learn from this situation”.

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Contact:
Kim Spirou
VP Communications
(C)519.980.5767
(O)519.973.4433

LEAMINGTON DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL’S COMMENT ON PATHOLOGY REVIEW ANNOUNCED BY HOTEL DIEU-GRACE HOSPITAL

Leamington, ON – Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH) is responding to issues raised regarding the announcements by Hotel Dieu-Grace Hospital (HDGH) with respect to both Dr. Barb Heartwell and the review of pathology cases.  With respect to the first issue, LDMH has confirmed that Dr. Heartwell had privileges in the period of February 11, 2009 – March 6, 2009.  Dr. Heartwell held temporary privileges only and covered one on-call surgical shift when LDMH was short staffed.  She performed no procedures during the time she held privileges.

With respect to the Pathology review, like Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH), LDMH was made aware of the concerns of HDGH related to a particular pathologist. LDMH has and continues to be a full participant with HDGH and WRH in developing the action plan to review this situation in order to ensure all pathology reports are reviewed in a timely manner.   LDMH, HDGH and WRH have all been communicating regularly and we will continue to support the review process. 

Pathology services in Windsor Essex are provided by an integrated pathology laboratory, the Windsor Essex Pathology Associates, which provides services to HDGH, WRH and all of the pathology services for LDMH.

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For more information:

John P. Stenger, C.A.

Chief Executive Officer

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

February 26, 2010

Joint Hospital Pathology Review Update

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital, Windsor Regional Hospital and Leamington District Memorial Hospital today announced further details regarding the joint review of pathology undertaken by the hospitals earlier this month.

The hospitals released the following details of the events leading up to the initiation of the review:
• In November 2009, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital became aware of an adverse medical event stemming from the error of Pathologist, Dr. Olive Williams. The Integrated Chief of Pathology, Dr David Shum immediately reviewed the case.
• Following the incident Dr. Olive Williams was removed from the surgical pathology rotation. On January 4th, 2010 Dr. Williams was suspended from Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital and soon after she resigned her privileges and no longer provides services within the Windsor Essex laboratories.

On the basis of the review of the initial case and in light of the fact that pathology services are provided to Windsor-Essex hospitals through an integrated laboratory, it was determined that the review needed to be more comprehensive and involve all three hospitals.

In February the three hospitals agreed to the following action plan:
• Dr. Williams has practiced in the region since 2003, the total number of reports that require review amount to approximately 15,000. Of those, approximately 10 – 15% of the specimens are from Leamington District Memorial Hospital the remainder being Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital samples.
• Because Dr. Williams had only been reading Pathology reports at Windsor Regional Hospital for a six week period in late 2009 an immediate review of the 171 Pathology reports was completed. No issues of clinical concern related to those patients were discovered.
• Because of the high volume of reports, the cases are being categorized in order of clinical significance and risk, with the highest risk reports being reviewed first. The highest risk reports amount to approximately 3500 cases. The pathologists have been working on reviewing these cases since early February. It is anticipated that these cases will be fully reviewed within the next 3 to 4 weeks.
• To date, approximately 600 cases have been reviewed and there have been no discoveries that affect patient treatment.

• The hospitals also began the process of initiating an independent review by pathologists from outside of the region with clinical specialties and expertise. The independent review was intended as a safeguard to ensure that no issues would be missed.

“Patient care and confidence is our paramount concern. We will make absolutely certain that every case is reviewed and any issues of concern that emerge are addressed,” stated Dr. David Shum, Integrated Chief of Pathology. “The most important cases are biopsy samples from suspected tumors and examinations of malignancies from organs. Reviews of these cases have been started, and we anticipate completing these reports within the next 3 to 4 weeks. We will be immediately advising patients of any concerns as we find them.”

Once the high risk reviews are completed, the hospitals will then turn their attention to low risk cases with no treatment implications. These cases will be reviewed methodically in the following months.

All three hospitals are committed to working with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Erie St. Clair LHIN on the external probe announced yesterday. The hospitals welcome the opportunity to participate in this process in order to ensure the patients within our region are not only protected but have increased confidence in the care we provide.

All three hospitals remain committed to communicating information as it becomes available.

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Contact:
Kim Spirou
VP Communications
(C)519.980.5767
(O)519.973.4433

November 6/09

LDMH Emergency Department Expands This Weekend to Support Flu Overflow

Leamington, ON – This weekend: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Leamington District Memorial Hospital will implement an “influenza over-flow clinic” to help support patients with concerns about H1N1 and influenza-like-illness symptoms who feel it is necessary to come to the Emergency Department. Volumes in the Emergency Department have definitely increased the past few weekends, and the hope is that this clinic will help reduce wait-times for patients with symptoms of influenza. The over-flow clinic will be held in the general surgery clinic adjacent to the hospital; any patients must still use the EMERGENCY ENTRANCE of the hospital and see the triage nurse first.

The overflow clinic will be held the following times:

FRIDAY, November 6/09 4:00pm – 10:00pm
SATURDAY, November 7/09 2:00pm – 8:00pm
SUNDAY, November 8/09 2:00pm – 8:00pm
MONDAY, November 9/09 4:00pm – 10:00pm

Symptoms of the flu include: fever, new or worsening cough and body aches. “We are still encouraging the public to visit their primary care provider – family physician, family health team – and not overwhelm the Emergency Department,” states Dr. Don Levy, Medical Director of the Emergency Department, “however, if you are concerned about your condition we will do our best to see patients more efficiently through the overflow clinic.”

The public is reminded to go to the nearest hospital emergency department or call 911 RIGHT AWAY if you have any of the following symptoms:

Difficulty breathing / shortness of breath when doing very little or resting.

Continuous vomiting or severe diarrhea with signs of dehydration such as dry tongue, dry mouth, decreased peeing (no urine for the past 6 to 8 hours), or very yellow/orange urine. Stiff neck and eyes sensitive to light. Seizures or convulsions.
Confusion or disorientation. The status of the clinic will be evaluated regularly and any updates in terms of changes in times or dates will be published on the hospital’s website at www.leamingtonhospital.com.

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For more information:
Sarah Padfield

Vice President, Corporate Services
(519) 326-2373 ext. 4249

 November 2, 2009

Leamington District Memorial Hospital Celebrates

National Patient Safety Week – November 2 – 6, 2009

Hospital Kicks-Off: “ASK ME IF I’VE CLEANED MY HANDS” CAMPAIGN

Leamington, ON – Leamington District Memorial Hospital is kicking off National Patient Safety Week by encouraging all patients and visitors to “ask me if I’ve washed my hands?”   The campaign designed to increase the hospital’s hand hygiene compliance rate, reduce hospital acquired infections and to stop the spread of viruses like the H1N1 flu virus, is a key component of the hospital’s patient safety action plan. 

“We know that proper hand hygiene is the number one way we can all help prevent the spread of infections in hospitals,” says Sarah Padfield, Vice President Corporate Services, “it is essential that everyone – hospital staff, the public, physicians and visitors – practice proper hand hygiene at all times while in the hospital.”

This week the hospital will be launching it’s: “ask me if I’ve cleaned my hands?” campaign – the campaign includes posting signs in patient care areas, staff will wear buttons that will remind patients to ask staff if they have cleaned their hands and training and educational events will be held in the cafeteria to display proper technique.  The hospital is also posting information about the campaign on the patient safety section of its web-site at: www.leamingtonhospital.com.

In light of the recent increase in influenza-like-illnesses appearing in our community, good hand hygiene principles will be critical if we are to help control the spread of infection.  Hand hygiene stations are set up at all entrances and all patients and visitors entering the building are reminded to please clean their hands upon entering, exiting and when in patient rooms or treatment areas.

In September 2008, the Board supported the hospital’s Patient Safety Action Plan which outlined six key initiatives that the hospital will focus on in order to increase patient safety within the hospital.  “Ensuring patient safety and improving quality are key priorities for the Board,” notes David Glass, Chair of the Quality Council, “we have dedicated a lot of our time at the Board meetings to increasing our own awareness of patient safety issues within the hospital and developing action plans to improve.”  Throughout the course of the week there will be staff events to discuss and celebrate patient safety achievements.

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For more information:

Sarah Padfield

Vice President, Corporate Services

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4249

Click here to see Poster

October 8, 2009

NEW LEADERSHIP OF LDMH

At a special Board Meeting held Tuesday, October 6, 2009 the Board confirmed the Search Committee’s recommendation and appointed John P. Stenger as the Hospital’s new CEO effective November 23, 2009.

The Chair, John Cervini reported that “from among the 27 applicants the Search Committee had a choice of many qualified and motivated individuals and selected John because of his strong financial background, public and private healthcare experience and CEO experience in the public sector.”

John Stenger was born and raised in Kingsville.  He graduated from University of Waterloo and became a Chartered Accountant in 1985.  With accounting background John worked for London Life and as Director of Finance for Diagnostic Imaging Canada.  He moved to Elliott Lake and was the Chief Financial Officer and then the CEO of the Provincial Corporation for Business Development.  For the past 6 years John was the Chief Financial Officer at St. Josephs General Hospital, Elliott Lake.  In addition to his accounting designation, John has a Diploma in Investigation & Forensic Accounting and an Advanced Health Leadership Certificate from Rotman School of Management (UofT).

“Hospital leadership and management present many challenges in light of financial constraints facing government and subsequently Hospitals.  Much has been accomplished by our Management Team but there is a lot more to do to sustain LDMH as an acute hospital serving South Essex County” said John Cervini “and the Board believes John Stenger is up to the task”.

Thank you all for your support of the Interim Team and the hard work during our transition and please join me in welcoming John back to his home town and our Hospital Family.

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 For more information:

Frank Zadel, Interim CEO

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

September 14, 2009

Leamington Hospital welcomes 2 new Specialists

Dr. Susanne Tracy and Dr. Angelina Chan welcomed to LDMH team

Monday, September 14, 2009 – Leamington District Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the arrival of Dr. Suzanne Tracy, General Surgeon and Dr. Angelina Chan, Obstetrics & Gynecology to the hospital and the community.  Dr. Tracy began practicing in early July while Dr. Chan will join the hospital in early October.

Dr. Tracy a General Surgeon is originally from the Essex county – Harrow - area.  After completing high school in Kingsville, Susanne obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo in 1997 followed by medical school at St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine and her General Surgery training at the University of Florida Health Science Centre.  She has held a surgical practice at Henry Ford Hospital.  “Obviously it is always very rewarding to see someone who grew up locally go off to school and return home to practice.  We are very pleased to welcome Susanne to the hospital,” states Dr. Ejaz Ghumman, Chief of Staff, “she will be a great addition to the general surgical program and the entire hospital team.”

Dr. Tracy’s clinic is operating out of the 3rd Floor Offices at Leamington Hospital.  Joining Dr. Tracy on the 3rd Floor is Dr. Angelina Chan, Obstetrics and Gynecology.   Dr. Chan will begin her practice October 5, 2009. 

“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Chan to the Maternal Child and Gynecology program at LDMH,” notes Dr. Rick Sabga, Chief of Obstetrics, “we have been recruiting a second OB/GYN for sometime and feel we have found the right person who will bring stability to this program.”

Dr. Chan, a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, has been practicing in Smith’s Falls Ontario for the last few years.  She is very familiar with small community hospitals and rural obstetrical and gynecological health issues.  In addition to delivering babies and supporting the obstetrical program, Dr. Chan is also trained in multiple gynecological surgical procedures.

“We are very excited to welcome new, young physicians to our team” says Ghumman, “both women bring new expertise and experience that will benefit both the hospital and the patients we serve.  We know the community will join us in wishing them a warm welcome to our community.”

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For more information
Dr. E. Ghumman, Chief of Staff

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4190

May 28, 2009

Leamington Hospital Announces Interim CEO

Leamington, ON - After 13 years of excellent leadership as Leamington Hospital’s CEO, Mr. Warren Chant is moving on to another opportunity as the new CEO of Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor. The Board of Directors of LDMH wishes him well in this new undertaking and thanks him for the dedicated service that he gave to our community during his tenure.

LDMH’s Board is now in the process of finding a new CEO.  The Board recognizes that this may take some time given the careful deliberations required to find the best candidate to guide our hospital into the future. 

During this transitional time, the Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Frank Zadel to the position of Interim CEO.  Prior to joining LDMH in 1998, Mr. Zadel worked in healthcare at the senior executive level in three provinces as well as internationally.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree followed by an M.B.A. and has served on a number of boards.  Mr. Zadel served in a number of senior management roles at LDMH between 1998 until his early retirement in 2006.  He also led several successful initiatives during that time, most notably the physical redevelopment of the hospital. 

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For more information:

John Newland, Chair, Board of Directors

(519) 326-2373 ext 4101

April 29, 2009

Flu Screening Precautions in Place at LDMH

Leamington, ON – Wednesday, April 29, 2009 – Precautions are in place at Leamington District Memorial Hospital to ensure all visitors, patients, clients are properly screened for the swine influenza virus as they enter the hospital.

The precautions include:

Anyone needing to enter the building – whether to visit a patient, have a procedure completed, attend an appointment with a physician or clinic – must enter the “Main Entrance” located off Fader Street.  The Talbot Street  - Front Lobby Entrance is CLOSED.

Anyone needing to go to the Emergency Department is asked to use the Emergency Department entrance – also located off Fader Street.

All visitors or patients to the building will be asked to clean their hands immediately upon entering the building with hand gel.  All visitors will also be asked two screening questions:

1. Do you have a new or worsening cough or shortness of breath?

2. Are you feeling feverish?

    If the answer is YES to both questions – visitors and patients will be asked to wear a mask and will be referred to their   

    health care provider or to the Emergency Department for follow-up

When assessed by their health care provider, patients will also be asked about recent travel or contact with individuals who have traveled to and from Mexico.

“As always, we ask anyone who is not feeling well to NOT visit the hospital, and to re-schedule their appointment or procedure,” says Sarah Padfield, Vice President, Corporate Services.  “If a patient is suspected of having the influenza virus they will be screened and tested appropriately.”

Finally the hospital is emphasizing the number one thing everyone can do to help stop the spread is to be extra diligent in cleaning their hands.  “Hand gel is available at all entrances and exits and we are asking everyone, the public, staff and physicians to do their part by just cleaning your hands,” notes Padfield.

For more information and regular updates the public is asked to refer to the hospital’s web-site at www.leamingtonhospital.com.

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For more information:

Sarah Padfield, Vice President, Corporate Services

519-326-2373 ext. 4249

Return to Home Page

April 21, 2009

Leamington Hospital Announces Significant Improvements in Telephone System

Leamington, ON - After many months of planning, Leamington District Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce that effective Tuesday April 21, 2009, they have implemented a new automated telephone system.  The Nuance Speech Attendant system will allow callers to dial the hospital number and say the name of the person or department they are trying to reach. 

“We made this change so that we could improve customer service,” says Sarah Padfield, Vice President Corporate Services, “there were a large volume of calls going through the switchboard and consequently many times there was a busy signal or people simply hung up while waiting for the call to be answered.”  Padfield also noted that the change should free-up Registration staff who currently attend the switchboard in order to allow those staff to register patients quickly.

The public is invited to call 519-326-2373 where they will hear the automated voice attendant; they can then say the name or department they want to reach, if the caller is not understood, the line will ring to switchboard where the caller will reach the switchboard attendant who will be happy to direct your call appropriately.  To reach a patient room outside callers will need to go through switchboard (dial 0 or say switchboard) to be connected for the time being.  Once our bed configuration is completed with our OBS unit moving upstairs, patient room extensions will be built into the automated system as well.

“We would ask for the public’s patience as we implement this new system,” notes Padfield, “like any change there will be a few growing pains, but we are already realizing the benefits of automation including better service and cost savings.”

For more information please visit: www.leamingtonhospital.com

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For more information:

Sarah Padfield, Vice President Corporate Services

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4249

INTRODUCING NUANCE SPEECH ATTENDANT

Externally---- Main Phone Line- 519-326-2373

                      You will hear the greeting for LDMH

                      When prompted say the name of the person or department 

                      you are trying to reach.

Speech Attendant Do’s and Don’ts

• Speak normally and at a regular pace.  Exaggerating your pronunciation may hinder voice recognition.
• When asking for a person, say the first name followed by the last name.  Do not use first names only.
• No need to wait until the end of the system prompt:  you can “barge-in” and interrupt the system to make a request.
• You will get better results using the handset rather than speakerphone.

What if I want to reach a patient’s room?

For now:

• Dial “0” for switchboard where an attendant will be glad to direct your call
• Say “switchboard” to be connected directly and an attendant will be glad to direct your call.       

In the future:

• Dial the patient room extension directly

Return to Home Page

February 27, 2009

LHIN supports LDMH Outlook 2020 plan

Leamington, ON – Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network CEO, Gary Switzer complimented the Leamington District Memorial Hospital plan, Outlook 2020, stating that is it an example of a hospital Board, “thinking regionally while acting locally.”  In a meeting with community leaders and representatives of the Town of Kingsville and Municipality of Leamington, the hospital and the LHIN presented information on changes and strategies that will ensure LDMH remains a strong, sustainable hospital well into the future.

“We have to be pro-active in our planning,” noted Switzer, “there are increasing demands on the system and it is imperative that we design a well coordinated approach to health care delivery across the region.”  Gary Switzer and Senior Director of Planning, Ralph Ganter, presented an overview of the Small Community Hospital Emergency Department Study currently being completed by the LHIN.  The study is a comprehensive review of small emergency departments within the Erie-St. Clair Region and includes a third party report by the Hay Group in which it was recommended that LDMH remain a full-service, 24-hour department.  Ganter commented that there are “many examples of leading practices implemented in the Leamington hospital; however, there are also opportunities to improve and coordinate services especially for those patients requiring primary care.”  The study does recommend that LDMH find ways to better integrate its Emergency services with both the larger hospitals in Windsor and the Community services such as CCAC.

Leamington Hospital representatives Warren Chant, CEO and Sarah Padfield, Vice President presented the information about the hospital’s new strategic vision Outlook 2020, noting that the plan very much compliments the work being completed as part of the LHIN’s small hospital Emergency Department study.  “A 24-hour ER is absolutely central to our acute-care hub model,” stated Chant, “also central to our plan is the need to better integrate our hospital and our services with the larger hospitals in the region.  This will be essential if we want to ensure LDMH is sustainable as a hospital into the future.”

LDMH continues to work through the implementation of the Outlook 2020 strategy, which includes:

• Maintaining a 24 hour Emergency Department and better coordinating services
• Eliminating the 6 bed inpatient rehabilitation unit
• Reclassifying the LDMH ICU to a level 2 ICU and closing 2 ICU beds
• Relocating the OBS unit to the 2nd floor and consolidating the unit with medical/surgical services
• Integrating some administrative and program services with the Windsor Hospitals.

Gary Switzer congratulated the LDMH Hospital Board for its efforts to engage and communicate with the community and encouraged the hospital to continue the dialogue about the changes to the health care system.  A special section of the LDMH web-site has been dedicated to Outlook 2020, and all members of the community are encouraged to go to www.leamingtonhospital.com for more information.

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For more information:

Warren Chant, CEO

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

February 11, 2009

Local hospital will retain acute care focus

Leamington, ON – After 18 months of analysis, planning and consultation the Board of Directors of Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH) met last night to finalize the strategic direction of the organization and approve the hospital’s operating plan for the next year.

The plan, called Outlook 2020, sets the course for a strong and sustainable future for LDMH and outlines a number of changes that will help ensure the hospital’s relevance to the community while dealing with pressing resource issues. LDMH will remain an acute care hub with a focus on the most important health care needs of the community while building on strengths in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Outpatient Surgery and Diagnostic Testing.

“What really matters is that we still have an acute care hospital here in Leamington,” explains John Newland, Chair of the Board for Leamington District Memorial Hospital. “Even though there will be changes, our hospital will continue to provide high quality, accessible patient care for our community.”

A recent report that recommended LDMH maintain a 24/7 Emergency Department was pivotal to the board’s decision. “An Emergency Department is a core service for an acute care hospital and essential to us as a community,” explained Warren Chant, CEO at LDMH adding that “in order to sustain the 24/7 Emergency Department other services and programs require restructuring to live within our budget.”

The strategic plan is based on what the Board thinks is best for the hospital and the community within the context of changing demographics, limited human and financial resources, and broad consultation with staff, physicians, community leaders, key healthcare partners and an in-depth community telephone survey. Key elements of the new strategic plan include:

Consolidation of Medicine/Surgery and Obstetrics on the 2nd floor
Moving the Obstetrics unit currently on the main floor up to the second floor will allow consolidation with Medicine/Surgery to maximize nursing coverage and make services more efficient. With approximately 315 births per year, an independent Obstetrics unit, which requires 2 nurses on duty at all times, is no longer sustainable. Consolidation on the 2nd floor means that women can continue to choose to deliver their babies at LDMH. The service is not closing, it is moving to the 2nd floor.

Elimination of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit
Therapy services, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, will continue to be available to our medical and Complex Continuing Care patients; however, the 6-bed inpatient unit is closing. Provincially, rehab is intended to treat orthopedic, neurological and stroke patients – services and programs not provided as core to the LDMH medical program. These patients will be better served by Windsor hospitals allowing Leamington to focus on providing improved outpatient and ambulatory care services.

Intensive Care Unit Restructuring and Integration
The current 4-bed unit will be reclassified from a level 3 ICU to a level 2 ICU, which is more reflective of the current level care being provided. With an average occupancy rate of just 60%, the unit will become a 2-bed unit with a Cardiac Care/Step Down focus. More critical patients will go to Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor where they will have access to appropriate specialists and expertise.

Emergency Department remains open 24/7
Emergency services will remain a core service at the hospital. Co-ordination and standardization will be extremely important for future service delivery. Recommendations in the recent Emergency Department study will be considered as the restructuring plan moves forward.

Integration with Windsor Hospitals
Closer integration of select services will improve access and provide a more seamless continuum of care for Leamington patients. Integration with Windsor hospitals will mean less duplication and more control over costs. Work is also underway to consolidate back office and administrative functions with other regional hospitals.

“Change can be difficult but it is absolutely necessary to keep the hospital viable in the coming years. We’ve said all along that the status quo is not an option,” said John Newland Board Chair. “We have worked hard to find alternatives that would have the least amount of impact on accessibility for our patients, but the biggest impact on the bottom line. We are asking the community to work with us to continue to build a better future for the hospital and the community.”

Changes to services and programs will be phased in throughout the 2009/2010 fiscal year which begins April 1. Transition teams will be created to determine bed allocations and to maximize efficiencies and ensure quality of care.

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For more information visit the hospital’s website at www.leamingtonhospital.com

For more information:
Warren Chant, President & CEO
Leamington District Memorial Hospital
(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

 January 28, 2009

Report recommends full Emergency Department to continue at LDMH 

Leamington, ON – A recommendation that LDMH continue to operate as a full service, 24/7 Emergency Department was welcome news for The Board of Directors, administration, and staff of the hospital. The board met last night to review the report on Small Hospital Emergency Departments released earlier in the day.

“Our community has made it clear that a 24/7 emergency service is a top priority,” explained John Newland, Board Chair. “The consultant also recognized the importance of a full service Emergency Department for our community and our hospital”.

The study, which was commissioned by the Erie St. Clair LHIN and conducted by The HayGroup, a third party consulting firm, addresses the small hospital emergency departments and makes recommendations for future service planning in Leamington, Wallaceburg and Petrolia.

The consultants stated that the distance to Windsor hospitals and overcrowding of those emergency departments are the primary reasons for keeping a full service department in Leamington. The report also noted that of the approximately 27,000 patient visits, the vast majority are for urgent and even non urgent care rather than true emergencies.

The Hospital was commended for successful efforts in recruiting full-time ER physicians and additional family physicians to the community that support the Emergency Department, but goes on to recommend additional recruitment occur to avoid physician burn-out.

The Board and administration recognize that this is the report from the LHIN’s consultant only, and will be reviewing the report and recommendations over the next few weeks.  The LHIN Board will be making its final decision after consultation with all the stakeholders.   “While we are pleased that our LHIN’s consultant recognizes that our Emergency Department should continue as a core service, we still must deal with the reality of balancing our budget,” explained Warren Chant, Hospital CEO. “With the report in hand, we can move forward to finalize our strategic plan and work with the LHIN to make the changes necessary to create a sustainable future for LDMH.”

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For more information:

Warren Chant, President & CEO

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

January 8, 2009

Change is inevitable as Hospital Board tackles

$2 million Deficit

Leamington, ON – The future sustainability of Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH) was the focus of discussions when the Board of Directors met last night to consider options for eliminating the hospital’s $2 million deficit.

“We are taking a strategic, proactive approach and looking at a number of options,” explained John Newland, board chair. “There is no doubt that there will be changes. Health care has changed, the economy has changed and the demographics of our community have changed. The hospital must change too. We clearly don’t have enough resources to sustain the current mix or level of health care services. We have to do things differently to meet the future needs of our patients in an affordable and responsible way.”

The board is holding off on making any final decisions until after the Small Community Hospital Emergency Department study is released in late January. The study, commissioned by the Erie-St. Clair LHIN and conducted by a third party consulting group, will address the small hospital emergency departments and make recommendations for future service planning in Leamington, Wallaceburg and Petrolia.

In the recent telephone survey conducted by the hospital, the community made it clear that a local Emergency Department is a top priority.  “We have made it clear to the consultants and the LHIN that the Board is committed to providing a 24-hour emergency department for our community,” says Newland, “we are waiting until the report and review is available however before we make any final decisions.”

Once the Emergency Department study is in hand, the board will meet in mid February to review all strategic planning material including the recently completed telephone survey and to make decisions that will ensure the hospital will meet its financial targets. Approximately 70% of hospitals in Ontario are going through similar processes to manage deficits.

The current situation is not just a financial issue. There are a number of factors that are influencing the hospital’s future sustainability:

• Ongoing shortage of physicians, nurses and professional staff
• Changing demographics reflected in declining volumes in traditional core services
• Acute care beds being used inappropriately for patients waiting for long term care beds
• Shift to regional health care planning and integration
• Shortage of funds made more uncertain with the current economic situation

“Quality patient care will always be our top priority,” explains hospital CEO Warren Chant. “In many ways this is an opportunity to think and act strategically to create a hospital that reflects the future needs of our community and uses resources responsibly. Implementing the plan will take time and change won’t happen over night. ” 

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For more information:

Sarah Padfield, Vice President, Corporate Services

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4249

November 26, 2008

Community Open to Change at LDMH

Emergency Services a top priority according to community survey

Leamington, ON – Three out of four residents agree that you always receive good care at Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH), according to a recently completed community survey gathering input as part of the hospital’s strategic planning process. The survey, which was conducted by Insights Research, involved random telephone interviews with 300 residents of Leamington, Kingsville and Essex County in late October and early November. The results were shared with the Board of Directors at their meeting on November 25, 2008.

The survey was conducted to engage the community and gain input in the hospital’s strategic planning process. With a deficit of $2.5 million projected over the next two years, the hospital’s board is faced with making some difficult decisions in order to balance the budget.

“The status quo is not an option for the hospital,” explains John Newland, Chairman of the Hospital Board. “We have to make some choices about the services we can and cannot continue to deliver. Changes are inevitable. The survey has allowed us to hear from the community before any final decisions are made.”

The survey asks participants to share their perceptions of the hospital; their experience in visiting or being a patient at LDMH, and how they prefer to receive information about the hospital.

Virtually all respondents were aware of the hospital and had been there at some time. Almost all respondents (93%) had been at the hospital for some reason at some time. 72% of respondents had visited LDMH for some reason in the last year and 50% had visited for themselves in the past year.

Overall respondents had a positive impressive of the hospital. Sixty nine percent had a positive impression of the hospital while only 17% had a negative impression. The great service/care, a positive past experience and the great staff were mentioned most often as the reasons for a positive impression of the hospital. For those who had a negative impression, long waits had the biggest influence.

Participants were also asked for their reaction to a closer alliance with Windsor hospitals. Only 10 percent of people surveyed responded negatively about the concept. However, the creation of an integrated network of care with Windsor hospitals alone will not provide a balanced budget. LDMH will still have to decide what services it can and cannot continue to provide. 

Keeping the emergency open 24 hours is a key factor in any future care models. Respondents clearly indicated that a 24-hour emergency room is an important community service.

“Communicating with the community will be essential as we move forward,” says Warren Chant, President and CEO of the hospital reflecting on the fact that only half of survey respondents felt well informed about what was happening at LDMH. An updated section of the web site, information meetings and a community newsletter are being created to keep the community informed as decisions are made and changes are implemented in 2009.

Over the coming weeks the Board will consider what changes can be made to create a balanced budget, while the Administration meets with other health care partners in the region and the Local Health Integration Network to discuss potential service plans.

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For more information contact:

Sarah Padfield, Vice President Corporate Services

Leamington District Memorial Hospital

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4249

September 30, 2008

LDMH Launches Patient Safety Action Plan

Leamington, ON – At its Board Meeting on Tuesday evening, the Board of Directors for Leamington District Memorial Hospital launched its Patient Safety Action Plan.  Earlier this spring the Board made improving patient safety a key corporate priority for the organization and tasked the Medical Staff and Administration with developing an action plan for improvement.  The plan also corresponds to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s new public patient safety reporting requirements.

“Ensuring the safety of our patients is our number one clinical priority,” stated Barb Tiessen, Vice President Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive, “all of our health professionals are dedicated to providing the best possible care to our patients and our community.”  The action plan highlights include:

• Increasing the Board’s awareness and education on issues of patient quality and safety and dedicating time at each meeting to review key metrics and indicators.
• Introducing new safe medication management practices
• Implementing a new electronic risk management system that will help track and monitor incidents and safety concerns
• Introducing the 2 patient identifier program which ensures that all patients are properly identified before a test or procedure is performed.
• Introducing new standards and practices to avoid infection for ventilated patients and patients who may require a central line for delivering intravenous medications.
• Finally and most importantly kicking off a major hand-washing campaign in participation with the Ontario Hospital Association’s “Just Wash Your Hands”

“We know that proper hand-washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of infection and bacteria in the hospital,” stated Tiessen, “all hospital staff, physicians, volunteers will be trained and audited on the proper techniques for hand-washing.  We are also pleading with the public to ensure they wash their hands every time they enter and exit the building.  Hand gel is available at all entrances.” 

The Board was also provided with an overview of the new section of the hospital’s web site where the c-difficile rates are reported.  As of September 26, 2008 hospitals are required to report their rates of c-difficile every month, this will be followed by a number of other indicators throughout the year.  Board Chair, John Newland reiterated, “the Board of LDMH is absolutely committed to this plan and we thank the staff and physicians for all their hard work.  We would encourage members of the community to check out the web-site as there is a lot of good information about c-difficile, how to protect yourself, and what your hospital is doing to improve patient safety.”

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For more information:

Sarah Padfield

Vice President Corporate Services

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4249

September 12, 2008

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August 27, 2008

Communique

Click on link below to review Communique Edition 3

Strategicare 08 - Communique - August 26 2008

StrategiCare 08 - QA

July 2008

PAY AS YOU GO

 Public Parking is available on the North side of the Hospital, accessible by gates off Fader Avenue and Armstrong Street.

There are also a limited number of metered parking spaces to the east of the facility off Fader Avenue.

There are Accessible parking spaces in both areas.

Parking fee is $4.00 per day.  Monthly Parking Passes are $20 per month and are available for purchase from the Business Office with a $10 deposit, which is refunded when the card is returned.

May 2, 2008

Dialysis Project Full Steam Ahead Despite Change in Location

Hospital announces it has changed the location and will renovate internally instead of constructing new building

Leamington, ON – At a special public announcement today, officials at the Leamington District Memorial Hospital announced that they have made an important decision that will affect the location of the new dialysis unit.  “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am excited to announce that we are making an important investment in the future sustainability of the hospital and the dialysis program,” said John Cervini, Vice Chair of the LDMH Board of Directors.  Cervini went on to say, “the Board has decided that it will not go forward with the original plan to construct a new building on the corner of Fader and La Marsh; rather, we will be renovating the front lobby and adjacent space on the main floor for the new location of the satellite dialysis unit.”

The plan was developed after months of negotiation with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Regional Dialysis program at Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital, Windsor, and the Erie-St. Clair LHIN.  “At this point we feel that it is a far better financial decision to renovate this space rather than add more square footage across the road,” said Warren Chant, President and CEO, “in the long run it will be more efficient as the dialysis unit will be able to share services such as shipping and receiving with the main hospital building.”

The building was intended to house both the new dialysis unit and the Leamington and Area Family Health Team.  “The family health team needs more space than we were able to construct,” noted Chant, “it just wouldn’t have been a responsible decision to continue ahead with the building construction for only the dialysis unit, by renovating this space it will make this program much more viable in the long-term.” The Board of Directors for the Family Health Team has struck a committee tasked with developing a request for proposal for the development of a permanent site for the clinic.  In the meantime the Family Health Team will continue to be located on the 3rd Floor of LDMH.

The LDMH Foundation confirmed its on-going support for the project at the public announcement with John Omstead saying, “the Foundation Board fully understands and supports the hospital’s decision.”  At this point the hospital is continuing to work with the architects and design consultants on finalizing the costs for the renovation project.  Omstead reiterated; however, “the Foundation has been overwhelmed with the community’s financial support.  We have been successful in raising close to $800,000, but we still have a long way to go.  In the next few weeks we will be announcing our summer fundraising campaign that will hopefully take us over the top.”

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About Leamington District Memorial Hospital

An 88 bed community hospital located in southwestern Essex County, Leamington District Memorial Hospital, serves a community of approximately 75,000.  Dedicated to delivering excellence in patient care, the staff, physicians and volunteers at LDMH pride themselves on their innovative partnerships and programs. LDMH is a 2008 winner of the Platinum Healthy Workplace Award presented by Health Action Windsor-Essex.

Questions and Answers

LDMH Satellite Dialysis Project

Where will the main entrance of the hospital be?

The main entrance of the hospital will be the outpatient entrance (located beside the Emergency Entrance) off Fader Street.

What is going to be in the lot at Fader and La Marsh?

The property will be developed as a public parking lot.  The hospital is in dire need of more public and staff parking and the lots on the other side of Fader St. will both become public parking with the front lot becoming staff, physician and some public parking.

Why was the decision made to renovate instead of construct the new building?

After a lot of discussion with the Family Health Team and reviewing the space requirements of both the FHT and dialysis unit, it was determined that it just wasn’t financially feasible to construct the building across the street.  The FHT requires more space than the hospital could afford to construct and it wasn’t efficient to construct a building only for the dialysis unit.  With the internal restructuring of the central registration area, the front lobby space was not being utilized to maximum capacity and therefore the renovation just made sense.  The dialysis unit will be more efficient by being located in the hospital as it will be able to share spaces such as shipping, receiving, storage and public spaces such as the cafeteria and public washrooms.

Which areas will be affected by the renovations?

There will be three areas displaced as a result of the renovation.  The front lobby / reception area has already been moved downstairs to the central registration area; however, this area does require additional improvements as part of the scope of this project.  The Hospital Auxiliary’s gift shop will be moved to the ground floor in the area formerly occupied by the Audiology Clinic and the Business Office will be relocated on the first floor.

Will fundraised dollars be used to construct the parking lot?

Fundraised dollars will not be used to construct the new parking lot.  Because parking is revenue generating for the hospital it would not be fair to use donations for this purpose.  The hospital will be using its capital reserve funds to develop the new parking lot.

If this is a satellite what is Hotel Dieu Grace’s role in the program?

Throughout the province, Dialysis is organized in a series of “clusters”, with a Regional Program Lead for each Region.  In our region, Hotel Dieu Grace is the Regional Program and therefore has accountability for clinical standards, program delivery and overall patient care.  For this satellite unit, LDMH and HDGH will operate in partnership in the delivery of this service for Leamington and area.

Will the costs for renovation be as much as was estimated for building a whole new building?

The location for the renovation is in an older section of the hospital and therefore will require a full renovation including some exterior work to reinforce the exterior walls and install a new HVAC system for the unit specifically. The costs also include costs to relocate the areas that will be displaced and subsequently require renovation in other parts of the building.  We are continuing to work with the architects and cost consultants on the revised estimates before confirming the renovation costs or fundraising target.

When will this all get started?

The gift shop will be relocated in the next 3 months.  The new parking lot across the street will be constructed this summer, with a planned opening date of October 1st.  There are still a number of Ministry of Health approvals required before the renovation can begin.  The capital project request has been submitted, and the next stage of submission requires a detailed sketch plan, construction cost estimate and operating budget.  We hope to be able to move forward as quickly as possible – likely within the next 6 months.