Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Participates in the Nursing Leadership Network Conference

Two years ago I went to the Nursing Leadership Network (NLN) Conference with members of the Professional Practice Team. The two-day conference is a celebration of leadership in nursing and acknowledges those in the field who have accomplished great advancements in the profession. On the way home we were talking about all the great things that we are doing at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) and we should celebrate and share that information with other organizations.

I’m delighted to say that the following year, 2011, the team submitted three poster presentations to the NLN, and all three were accepted (Leadership Academy, Patient Rounding and Normo-thermia). This year, I’m thrilled to say CKHA again had three poster presentations accepted (Professional Practice, Dream to Reality, Lights … Camera … Activation and Rounding, A Team Approach Cares to Ask).

Having three poster presentations accepted is an exceptional feat. CKHA staff, physicians and patients can be proud of the level of commitment CKHA has to stay on the leading edge of leadership within the healthcare field.

This is just another example of how demonstrate that we are An Exceptional Community Hospital – Setting Standards, Exceeding Expectations.


Pictured L-R, front row Laurie Duffield, Professional Practice Corporate, Erika Walker, Administrative Assistant, back row Jean Landry, Executive Assistant, Crystal Houze, Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, Willi Kirenko, Director, Quality and Interprofessional Practice, Kathy Lynn Stennett, Professional Practice Nurse, Linda Brown, Professional Practice Nurse, Julie Desmarais, Professional Practice Nurse and Phil Taylor, Professional Practice Nurse.
Missing from the photo, Betty Oldershaw, Professional Practice Corporate and Jill Cousins, Professional Practice Nurse.

What do you do when things don’t go as planned?

Most of the time procedures in the hospital go exactly as planned. But what do you do when things don’t go as planned, what or how do you tell the patient and their family? There is certainly an ethical, professional and legal obligation to disclose what has taken place; but what is the best way to do that?

Dr. K. Reducka is the Physician Risk Manager at the Canadian Medical Protective Association, she recently came to Chatham-Kent Health Alliance to educate Physicians and the Interprofessional Team on the process of disclosing information to patients and families.

During the session, participants:
1) Learned the threshold for disclosure
2) Worked through disclosure scenarios
3) Learned how to develop a communication process to meet the patient’s clinical, information and emotional needs.

Unfortunately, we know that errors happen. So while we aim to never need the education received, we want to be prepared for when we do and to disclose information regarding a patient’s care in the best possible way. With Dr. Reducka’s support, we are better to do just that.

In the photo below, Dr. K. Reducka is seen during the education session provided to the interdisciplinary team.

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Decreases Infection by 90%!

Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) is a type of bacteria that is highly resistant to antibiotics and can be spread in hospitals. Although it rarely causes infections, an infection with VRE could be devastating to a patient as there are limited antibiotics remaining which are effective against it (there are only two drugs which are interchangeable, so most hospitals only carry one). As some may recall Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) experienced three outbreaks of VRE during 2009 and 2010 but we haven’t heard much about this bug since – and it’s not because it has fallen off of our radar.

An inter-professional team consisting of members from infection prevention and control, unit managers and directors, frontline nursing staff, professional practice leaders, engineering services, and housekeeping, identified and addressed the cultural, behavioral and environmental barriers that had been contributing to the spread of these bacteria. The team researched current literature, conducted a cost-benefit analysis, used videos to reveal out-dated practices, surveyed and then provided education to staff, and made environmental changes, to get support for capital equipment and assist frontline staff to transition to better practices. Through the hard work and dedication of staff from the frontline to patient safety, the incidence of hospital acquired VRE at CKHA has dropped by an amazing 90%, which has been sustained over the last 2 years. This success is a great example of how simple changes in practices do make a difference for our patients. Below are some of the people responsible for this initiative

Pictured L-R, Shane Helgerman, Director Medicine & Mission, Lisa Northcott, Clinical Manager, Medicine, Carol Turner Coordinator IPAC, Harrie Bos Manager, Engineering Services, Carrie Sophonow Manager, Housekeeping, Erika Vitale Infection Prevention & Control Quality Analyst, and Crystal Houze, Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive.

Trillium Gift of Life

Did you know, every three days, someone in Ontario dies while waiting for an organ transplant?

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) has partnered with Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) to maximize tissue and organ donation to enhance life for others. We are the twelfth hospital TGLN has collaborated with to promote tissue and organ donation. Through this collaboration, CKHA continues its change and quality initiatives to improve health and quality of life for all.

Organ donation from one individual can help eight other individuals. Tissue donation can benefit the lives of 75 others. Unfortunately, the availability of organs and tissue in Ontario for transplant falls extremely short of the need.

After January 24, 2012, CKHA’s Emergency Department (ED) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) will implement this quality initiative and report all deaths to TGLN within one hour of a patient’s death. This timely, mandatory reporting will facilitate tissue donation, specifically the donation of eye tissues, skin, bone, and heart valves by standardizing the process for donation with one phone call to TGLN. This process also helps identify potential donors.

Discussing death or tissue/organ donation with family or loved ones is never an easy topic.

Have you considered tissue/organ donation? Did you know that even if you signed a donor card, you still need to register your request on-line with Service Ontario? If you do register yourself as a tissue/organ donor, you can alleviate a stressful burden on your family of having to decide what to do during a painful, sad time.

Through this collaboration, TGLN has the ability to verify “donor status” for those whom the status is not known or whose status may have changed. TGLN staff will discuss tissue and organ donation with family members, prompting them to consider donation for those who are not registered or verification of donor status to ensure the patient’s wishes are followed.


For more information or to register on-line, visit http://www.ontario.ca/en/services_for_residents/ONT05_039074.html

Everyone is a potential donor regardless of their age.