Providing our patients and families with safe, quality care is always our highest priority.
Recent media coverage about a patient’s and family’s experience involving discharge from the hospital is not consistent with our team’s commitment to provide extraordinary care and caring at all times. We are deeply sorry for this patient’s and family’s experience with us. We have reached out to the family and offered our sincere apology.
We have taken immediate steps to learn from this very unfortunate matter. This includes conducting a thorough review of the patient’s experience to identify areas of improvement and make changes needed to support positive discharges from hospital. A positive discharge is a critical part of every patient's experience and wellbeing.
It is important to us that we have open and transparent discussions with patients and families in all aspects of their care, including discussions about plans for discharge. Our commitment is to actively and often involve patients and families during their hospital stay in conversations about their progress and discussions about their care plans and next steps.
Our new Niagara Health Engagement Network presents us with valuable opportunities to bring patient and family perspectives to planning for discharge from hospital. We are seeking patients and families to participate in these discussions to help us improve our approach to planning for discharge so it is as compassionate, patient centred and family focused as it can be.
Our commitment to all of our patients and families is to continue to learn and improve the patient experience for everyone.
Additional details about planning for discharge can be found here. If at any time you have questions or concerns about your care, or the care of a family member, please do not hesitate to speak with a member of the healthcare team. Our Patient Relations Team is another helpful resource and can be reached at 905-378-4647, ext. 44423, or by email at patientrelations@niagarahealth.on.ca
Enhancing all aspects of the patient experience is a priority for us, and we welcome your partnership and feedback.
-- Angela Zangari, Interim President
