“It has been incredibly beneficial to work together on Accreditation readiness; we have been able to leverage each other’s expertise, which has led to not only efficiencies but also enabling our shared goal of a cohesive healthcare system in our area.”
Robin Spence Haffner
Listowel-Wingham and Area Family Health Team (LWA FHT)
Our accreditation collaborative started with seven organizations participating in a subregion prototype accreditation process with Accreditation Canada in 2019. The intent was to learn from this small group and grow the number of organizations participating in integrated accreditation for our 2024 survey. In 2022 all HPA-OHT organizations were invited to join the accreditation collaboration. 10 organizations committed to participate in the collaborative accreditation process in 2024. There is a cross sector representation from hospital, long term care, community support services, home care, primary care, and intellectual & developmental disabilities. The organizations have 3 standard policies from the 2019 accreditation process and 8 HPA-OHT IPAC policies to adopt. The Accreditation collaborative created a memorandum of understanding that has committed to harmonizing several policies in leadership, governance, and medication management. Our onsite survey by Accreditation Canada will take place in April 2024.
We are collaborating on the work of the core standards, leadership, governance, IPAC, medication management and emergency & disaster management. The three instruments used to survey board members, staff and providers of the organization were completed with organizational results but also collaborative results. Action plans were created to address the survey results with collaborative actions as well as organizational actions identified.
The collaborative has a steering committee that meets monthly to review core standards, policies, documents and action plans.
We created sub-committees to review three of the core standards.
The governance sub-committee includes board members from each organization and senior leaders. This sub-committee has created five policies/documents to be adopted. They continue to work through the governance survey results and the governance standards.
IPAC sub-committee includes IPAC leads from each organization. This sub-committee reviewed the IPAC standards and are completing site visits at each organization to review the IPAC standards in action.
Medication management sub-committee includes pharmacists, staff and nurses from each organization that provides medication to patients/residents/clients. This sub-committee has created three policies to be adopted. They are completing site visits at each organization to review medication management standards in action.
Part of the emergency & disaster management standard is site visits to review a risk assessment and organizations emergency & disaster planning.
Our collaborative accreditation process aims to work together to harmonize policies, share expertise and lessons learned. It has created conversations and shared work between governors from different organizations. The process has brought leaders from different sectors to jointly work towards accreditation.
Harmonized Policies Huron Perth & Area Ontario Health Team Accreditation Collaborative
Equity Framework Ontario Health Quality (pdf)
This policy presents Ontario Health’s Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Anti-Racism Framework, focusing on addressing systemic issues like anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism. It outlines 11 areas of action, including collecting and using equity data, embedding these goals in strategic plans, and partnering to advance Indigenous health equity, aiming to foster an equitable and inclusive health system in Ontario.
2023 Medication Sample Management (pdf)
Details guidelines for managing medication samples in compliance with regulatory requirements. It focuses on ensuring safety and quality through clear documentation, proper labelling, and patient education, while outlining specific procedures for handling, dispensing, and monitoring medication samples within healthcare settings.
2023 Medication Recording Policy (pdf)
Provides comprehensive guidelines for medication administration, emphasizing adherence to the ’10 Rights of Drug Administration’. It aims to reduce medication errors by ensuring correct drug, dose, patient, route, time, documentation, assessment, drug interactions, and patient education, enhancing safety and quality of care in healthcare settings.
2023 Executive Leader Succession Planning Policy (pdf)
Outlines a policy for ensuring organizational stability and effectiveness through a structured succession plan for executive leaders. This plan addresses both unexpected temporary vacancies and planned transitions, focusing on continuity of leadership, encouraging internal leadership development, and guiding recruitment strategies.
2023 Do Not Use Abbreviations Policy (pdf)
Aims to promote safe and clear communication in healthcare settings. It prohibits using specific abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols in documentation to prevent misinterpretation and reduce the risk of medication errors, focusing on accuracy in medical orders and patient records.
2023 Code of Conduct Policy (pdf)
Establishes ethical guidelines and standards for Board Directors, including managing conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and adhering to legal and organizational policies. It is applicable to all directors and non-director board committee members, emphasizing the importance of integrity, transparency, and commitment to the organization’s values and responsibilities.
2023 Board_Effectiveness Policy (pdf)
Outlines a policy for continuous monitoring and improvement of board performance. It emphasizes regular evaluation of both the board as a whole and individual members, focusing on a range of factors including skills, risk management, leadership, succession planning, and stakeholder communication, to enhance overall governance effectiveness.
2023 07 24 Client Flow overview (pdf)
The policy provides a comprehensive overview of the Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team’s (HPA-OHT) approach to fostering a sustainable, people-driven healthcare system, detailing its commitment to evidence-based care, cross-sector collaboration, and the specific working groups and initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes and patient experiences across the region.
2023 11 01 Health and Safety Policy (pdf)
The policy emphasizing the commitment to creating and sustaining safe, healthy workplaces by adhering to all applicable laws and regulations, with specific strategies for preventing workplace injuries and illnesses.
2023 12 06 Board of Directors Nomination Policy (pdf)
The policy focuses on creating a transparent, equitable process for board nomination that ensures a diverse, skilled, and community-representative board membership, in alignment with organizational by-laws and strategic leadership goals.
2023 11 01 Ethics Policy (pdf)
This policy emphasizes a standardized, fair approach to ethical issues in healthcare. It outlines ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, confidentiality, and justice, aiming to guide decision-making and actions while ensuring ethical practice across all levels of the organization.
2024 01 03 Board self evaluation (pdf)
The document is a comprehensive Board Self-Evaluation Questionnaire designed to annually assess board performance, effectiveness in governance, financial oversight, stakeholder relations, and individual director contributions, fostering continuous improvement and strategic alignment within the organization.