CMH last achieved exemplary status 10 years ago

” It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team here at CMH.” CMH Chair Kevin Huestis

Article/image by John Campbell

Campbellford - Tues., Feb. 21, 2023 - Perfection is rare but Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) came awfully close to achieving it when it was recently awarded Accreditation with Exemplary Standing by Accreditation Canada.

CMH Board Chair Kevin Huestis

“We are thrilled” to have earned “the highest level of designation,” CMH Board Chair Kevin Huestis said in announcing the award this month at the same event it was announced the hospital would be receiving more than $13 million in funding from the provincial government.

“On behalf of the board, I can tell you that we are very proud of this accomplishment. From top to bottom the surveyors noted excellence in every department, from the ED (emergency department) to the inpatient unit, maintenance to housekeeping, dietary, restorative care DI (digital imaging), lab. I could name every department in the hospital if I had time. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team here at CMH.”

Accreditation Canada and its affiliate, Health Standards Organization, are independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations that work with health, social and community service organizations to improve the quality and safeness of their services.

Interim hospital CEO and president Eric Hanna

Interim hospital CEO and president Eric Hanna said CMH got “top marks,” attaining 99 per cent of the standards set out for hospitals.

“That’s just exceptional,” he said, drawing applause from those gathered for the funding announcement.
A team of surveyors spent three days last December at the hospital, touring the facility and meeting different people.
“It’s very, very rigorous what they look at … some of the comments that came back (from the surveyors) really go a long way in giving the community confidence that we are doing what we can do to provide the highest level of care.”

They praised CMH for its “comprehensive improvement framework” and its “updated rigorous emergency response plan.”
The hospital’s physical plant, which has had “quite a few upgrades (done) … passed with flying colours,” as did the hospital’s board of directors, Hanna said.

CMH was also commended for allowing patients and their families to be “directly involved” in the direction of their care and decision making.

The hospital is “very, very focused” on giving patients a voice, Hanna said. “We … make corrections based on the patient feedback,” and one of the ways it’s given is through the patient family advisory council. It’s consulted before decisions are made and “my hat’s off to the staff here who have accepted that philosophy, of saying we want to hear from you,” Hanna said.

He stressed staff are responsible for CMH meeting the lofty standards that are used to measure performance
“We only missed 20 out of 1,600,” Hanna said. Two are difficult to achieve, but the hospital “is working on trying to address (the other ones) as soon as possible and, more importantly, make sure that we don’t go back (on what’s been accomplished).”

The survey identified two “significant issues” with the facility but they will be taken care of, Hanna said, by using most of the funding the hospital is receiving, to replace a generator and to upgrade the HVAC system.

The hospital employs 275 people and it was by “having everybody coming together” that the hospital was able to attain its exemplary status, he said. “I’m very, very proud of that.”

He thanked Nicole Wood, the hospital’s vice-president of care and chief nursing officer, for leading the hospital’s bid to be accredited.
CMH last achieved exemplary status 10 years ago.

“It takes a lot of work to get there,” Hanna said.
“It’s good to have third party validation,” he said in an interview.

He likened the process to a year-end audit, except accreditation is done every four years. But that’s going to change. In future, a survey will undertaken annually but it will be focused on specified areas rather than the entire hospital.

“Things can slide a little bit … It shouldn’t but, honestly, sometimes it does.” he said. “I think it’s a really good move. It will give you more of a chance to learn and be better in real time” rather than having to wait four years for an assessment to be carried out, and changes made.