Sudbury hospital under close scrutiny

NEWS RELEASE

NORTH EAST LHIN

*************************

North East LHIN appoints peer reviewer to Health Sciences North

SUDBURY (July 9, 2012) - Ongoing high rates of Alternate Level of Care (ALC) patients, challenges on moving patients from the emergency room through to discharge and the overall impact of hospital operational issues on the community are among the concerns prompting the North East LHIN’s decision for a peer review. 

The North East LHIN has appointed the president and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences (HSS), Murray Martin, to undertake a peer review of Health Sciences North (HSN).

“This decision was not taken lightly. However, the operational health of HSN is key to every person living in Northeastern Ontario. We are blessed with exceptional health-care workers who provide patients with the hands-on care. Our job is to provide them with an effective and efficient system,” said Louise Paquette, CEO of the North East LHIN. “We are confident that Mr. Martin’s work will assist the North East LHIN in making decisions that will help improve the hospital’s financial and organizational performance. It is critical to the North East LHIN that Health Sciences North continue to provide quality care to Greater Sudbury residents, as well as specialized regional programs to people across Northeastern Ontario.”

Mr. Martin will work in partnership with the hospital and is expected to complete his review by the end of September.

 He will report to the CEO of the North East LHIN. 

The hospital is supportive of the review and looks forward to working with Mr. Martin.

Prior to joining HHS, Mr. Martin served for close to 10 years as the president and CEO of Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. 

He has held many senior management positions, including executive vice-president & COO for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto.  

In 2006, Mr. Martin was asked to undertake a similar peer review of the Kingston General Hospital and then in 2009 he was appointed as supervisor of the Cambridge Memorial Hospital by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

A peer reviewer is a third party with expertise in hospital administration, who will provide a series of recommendations to the LHIN on how operational processes can be improved at the hospital including the flow of patients out of the emergency department and into the rest of the hospital.

HSN ended 2012 with a deficit of $3.3-million.

The hospital submitted a Hospital Improvement Plan (HIP) at the end of March and signed Hospital Sector Accountability Agreement promising to balance by September 2012.

Admission rates from the emergency department are the third highest in the province (17 percent).

The emergency department operates overcapacity a large majority of the time.

HSN has a high number of ALC patients in hospital beds despite significant community investments.

*************************