HGMH Highlighted as Top Performer in Quality

Health Quality Ontario has named Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital (HGMH) as a top performer within the 32 hospitals that make up Region 2. Hospitals throughout the province establish Quality Improvement Plans (QIP) each year, which identify quality targets, link executive compensation to these targets, and improve transparency by making these QIPs publically accessible. In four of the seven main quality indicators, HGMH was identified as a top performer.

Patient satisfaction in our Emergency Department is higher than average, with 94.7% of our emergency department patients saying they would recommend our hospital to others. Surveys are sent out to a random selection of patients who were admitted or visited the Emergency Department every month by a third party, who collects and compiles responses anonymously. HGMH uses patient satisfaction data to identify what areas need improvement and where patient expectations are being met. These survey results emphasize that our Emergency patients have very high satisfaction with the availability of our nurses, and 100% of our inpatients in the fourth quarter of 2014-2015 reported that they were satisfied with the overall care they received and would recommend our hospital to others.

HGMH's commitment to financial sustainability was evident in the Hospital being identified as a top performer in total margin. This quality indicator is a ratio calculated by dividing net revenues by total revenues. A positive total margin indicates that the hospital is not running at a deficit. HGMH's total margin for 2014-2015 was 0.42%, which means our Hospital has maintained a balanced budget despite these times of continued economic stress and limited funding increases.

The Hospital's extensive Infection Prevention and Control Program has been instrumental in HGMH being highlighted for most improvement in C. difficile prevention. The program follows Public Health Ontario's best practice guidelines and includes many components, including hand hygiene, equipment and environmental cleaning, and auditing.

HGMH's dedication to patient safety is demonstrated in our medication reconciliation rates for patients who are admitted to our Hospital. This process creates the most accurate list possible of all medications a patient is taking, including drug name, dosage, frequency, and route, and ensures that patients get all of the correct medications. Medication reconciliation aims to prevent adverse drug events for all patients.

It is the mission of Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital to provide innovative, accessible, safe, and quality patient-centred primary health care services in both official languages. The Hospital's annual Quality Improvement Plans are available on the website.