NBRHC Selected to Participate in National Surgery Quality Improvement Program

The North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) has been selected as one of 18 hospitals in Ontario to participate in the National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), in which clinical data is collected to effectively monitor, track and improve surgical outcomes for patients.

NSQIP is a peer-controlled, validated database designed to measure risk factors before, during and after surgery. The information helps measure and understand outcomes in which an evidence based process will be built upon in order to improve surgical quality care.

By collecting data through all stages of the surgical process, including connecting with the patient 30 days after their operation, the NBRHC can effectively track and monitor any trends that will identify where improvements can be made.

The NBRHC is one of only three Northern Ontario hospitals selected for the program, which also includes Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre.

NBRHC’s Chief of Staff Dr. Donald Fung believes this program will provide reliable data in surgical outcomes.  “Medicine is an art based on science: the data is our scientific method and how we use the data to improve quality and patient care is the art for surgeons.  By utilizing this data, we can identify any gaps in care and improve on these areas and quality for patients,” says Dr. Fung.

Dr. Ravinder Singh, the Surgical Champion of this program for NBRHC, will initiate surgical quality improvement activities at the hospital, act as a key contributor locally and provincially by engaging in collaborative learning with a network of colleagues to establish best practices in surgical care.

The NBRHC will be one of the first in Ontario to gain access to these evaluations and the ability to implement these processes. The intention is to expand this program to other hospitals after the 18-month run-in phase, which will conclude September 30, 2016.

“By measuring our own outcomes and validly comparing them to other participating sites, we can share best practices and knowledge with one another in order to achieve common improvement goals,” says Dr. Singh. “We are excited to be a part of this program, and put these newly developed quality initiatives in place.”

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Contact:
Heather Cobbledick
Communications Specialist, NBRHC
Heather.cobbledick@nbrhc.on.ca
Work: 705-495-7592
Cell: 705-498-4245