Hospital Services Get Approval

Wednesday, 30 April 2014 at 18:09

Among other recommendations, a "Centre of Excellence" for endoscopy procedures at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital will be created.

The South West LIHN approves recommendations made by the Oxford Hospital Joint Services Plan this week.

TILLSONBURG -- The South West Local Health Integration Network has approved recent recommendations made by the Oxford Hospital Joint Services Plan.

Approval paves the way for creation of a "Centre of Excellence" for Cataracts at Alexandra Hospital in Ingersoll and the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Endoscopy procedures at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital.

Integrated CEO of Tillsonburg and Ingersoll Hospital, Crystal Houze says it allows resources to be focused on a specific procedure, at a specific location.

"We do already do these types of procedures both at Tillsonburg and Ingersoll, so what we're doing is just shifting our volumes from one organization to the other so that we can be more efficient and really create a very patient and family centred Centre of Excellence."

The Oxford Hospital Joint Services Plan also recommended decreasing the number of Complex Continuing Care Beds in Tillsonburg and Ingersoll.

Houze says implementation of the Province’s "Home First" program lead to some care beds that were longer being fully utilized.

"In Tillsonburg we are closing six Complex Continuing Care Beds in January of 2015, and in Ingersoll we're closing five Complex Continuing Care Beds in July and four in October."

Developing a "Centre of Excellence" for pediatric and children's health at Woodstock Hospital was also approved, with Woodstock Hospital also continuing to deliver cataract and endoscopy services as well.

“The three hospitals entered into this initiative with the intention of finding ways to work together to provide the highest quality care as close to home as possible, without wasting precious funding. They have done an exemplary job of identifying efficiencies and eliminating redundancies,” said Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital Board of Directors Chair, Duaine Nelson in media statement released Wednesday.

The OHJSP was the result of equal input from each hospital.

Six Working Groups were established to examine each priority area.

Working Groups were comprised of Board, management and staff representatives from each of the three hospitals, as well as key external stakeholders.

Additional OHJSP recommendations for integration included Laboratory Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Paediatric and Children’s Health.

These were also approved by the South West LHIN.