BHB welcomes first babies of 2020

Wednesday 1 January 2020: Staff of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Maternity Unit have been busy on the first day of 2020, welcoming two New Year’s babies with a possible third on the way. Both babies were expected in the middle of January but decided to make early appearances.

The first baby of the new decade was born at 7:58am. The little girl weighed in at 7lb 2oz.

The second baby followed a few hours behind, born at 12:06pm to parents Keneshia and Terence Taylor. Little Nia Elizabella is just 4lb 1oz.

The babies and their mothers are healthy and getting some much needed rest.

Pictured above: Nia Elizabella Taylor and mother Keneshia Taylor

BHB awarded top level of accreditation

Monday 2 December 2019: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) has achieved a decision of Accredited with Exemplary Standing, Accreditation Canada’s highest level of accreditation. The decision follows four years of quality and safety improvements, culminating in a weeklong onsite visit by independent surveyors in May.

Accreditation Canada is a non-profit organisation that works with the Ottawa-based Health Standards Organization, healthcare providers, policy makers and patients to improve the quality of health and social services. More than 1,000 health and social service organisations and 7,000 sites around the world have been accredited by Accreditation Canada with a goal of safer, high-quality healthcare. Accreditation Canada surveyors are volunteers who are healthcare professionals in senior clinical or administrative roles at other accredited organisations.

BHB CEO and President Venetta Symonds said: “I’m very proud of this result, which reflects the dedication and hard work our staff devotes to BHB’s quality and safety improvement projects in addition to their daily work of caring for our patients. The surveyors emphasised how much we’ve achieved at BHB over the last few years, and even in the six months prior to the survey.

“They applauded how we have used the Strategic Plan 2016-2021 at the centre of our planning across BHB, and how our extensive Clinical Services Plan serves as the anchor for our strategic goals.

“They cited our dedication to quality and safety improvement and training at all levels, especially initiatives like the introduction of daily bullet rounds on inpatient wards and more focused discharge planning, the significant reduction in pressure injuries, our commitment to early identification and treatment of sepsis, and our increasing engagement of patients and families in policy and process development. They recognised the involvement of our entire team in achieving these results.”

BHB Chief of Staff Michael Richmond, MD, said: “In Bermuda our hospitals are required by law to be accredited by an approved accrediting body. However, the most important part of the process is the opportunity to receive feedback and recommendations from the Accreditation Canada team and the surveyors based on the knowledge and insights they’ve gained from our peers across North America and around the world.

“Clinical and non-clinical teams across BHB have been collaborating with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Johns Hopkins Medicine International and other partners to identify and implement changes to our services, processes and policies. These changes are already having a significant impact on the quality and safety of our care, as evidenced by Accreditation Canada’s survey findings.”

Mrs Symonds added: “Achieving the highest level of accreditation does not mean we don’t have more work to do. The survey report highlights the things we’re doing well, but it also outlines areas we need to improve. Their advice, along with our other quality improvement partners, will help us along the journey to attaining our vision of Exceptional Care. Strong Partnerships. Healthy Community.

“One of our greatest resources on this journey is our patients and their loved ones. Their input on our services and care is invaluable in identifying the areas we fall short and helping us deliver the best possible care to every patient, every day. Our newly formed Patient and Family Advisory Council also provides advice on how we can implement or change processes to improve the patient experience. Thank you to the Council and to every member of the community who has taken the time to contact our unit managers and patient relations with their suggestions and concerns.”

From 13-17 May 2019, four independent surveyors assessed BHB against 26 sets of healthcare standards, 35 priority processes and 30 required organisational practices. They spent time at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre and three of BHB’s group homes, observing staff, reviewing documentation and policies, and interviewing staff, patients and community partners.

The surveyors’ findings were then reviewed thoroughly by the Accreditation Canada team before an accreditation decision and full report were issued.

“Accreditation Canada is committed to supporting organisations like Bermuda Hospitals Board, who offer safe and effective care with a focus on continuous improvement. We commend BHB for their outstanding achievement and their contributions to our goal of achieving quality health services for all,” noted Katerina Tarasova, Accreditation Canada’s executive director of international accreditation.

Accreditation Canada will continue to work with BHB throughout the four-year accreditation cycle, reviewing evidence related to unmet criteria, providing feedback, and monitoring standards and practices to ensure the organisation continues to perform at the expected level.

BHB has been accredited since the 1970s. This year marks the 13^th onsite survey by Accreditation Canada. The next survey will be held in May 2023.

The accreditation report, decision letter and survey comparison table are available on the BHB website at bermudahospitals.bm > About BHB > Providing Safe Care.

Resources

• BHB Accreditation Canada Report
• BHB Accreditation Canada Decision Letter
• BHB Accreditation Survey Summary Comparison Table 2008-2019
• BHB Strategic Plan 2016-2021
• BHB Clinical Services Plan
• Accreditation Canada website
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement website
• Johns Hopkins Medicine International website

Medical ethics expert focuses on difficult conversations

1 November 2018: Bermuda’s healthcare providers will have the opportunity to learn from a medical ethics expert next week. Dr Christy Simpson, head of the Bioethics Department at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine, will return to the island to give a series of talks as part of Bermuda Hospitals Board’s (BHB’s) annual Ethics Awareness Week.

This year, Dr Simpson and the BHB Ethics Committee will focus on the difficult conversations that present a challenge for many healthcare professionals.

Dr Christy Simpson (left) and Sita Ingram

Sita Ingram, Ethics Education Committee chair and clinical director of Allied Health Services at BHB, said: “Healthcare providers are here to diagnose and treat illnesses, but it’s also our duty to make sure our patients understand the reality of their diagnosis, and the risks and benefits of choosing one treatment over another. We need to take their values and beliefs into account, along with their loved ones’ wishes.

“These can be very emotional conversations for everyone involved, especially when the prognosis is not good or the treatment journey is likely to be difficult. The situation can be even tougher when patients aren’t able to make decisions for themselves.”

Dr Simpson said: “In the end we need to support patients and their families through the decision-making process and then support their decisions, whether or not the patient chooses the recommended course of treatment.

“There are steps we can take to prepare for these kinds of conversations and to deal with any issues that arise. There are also ethical considerations, along with tools that can help when making a decision is particularly difficult or there are differing views.”

Dr Simpson will lead continuing medical education lectures for local healthcare providers next Monday to Thursday (5-8 November). Details are available on the BHB website at bdahospitaldev.wpengine.com by clicking on CME Events under Quick Links. Following the lectures, Dr Simpson, the Ethics Committee and BHB staff will participate in two days of workshops.

According to Dr Simpson, one thing everyone can do to make these kinds of situations a little easier is to consider completing an advance directive and choosing a healthcare agent.

“Thinking about what you would want and discussing it with your loved ones ahead of time can ease some of the stress in a very stressful situation,” Dr Simpson said. “In a case where you aren’t able to make your own decisions, an advance directive can take the burden off your loved ones’ shoulders and potentially prevent family turmoil because you’ve made many of the hardest decisions in advance.”

Members of the Ethics Committee will be available in the Acute Care Wing lobby at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) from 12pm to 2pm on Monday 5 November to talk about advance directives, ethical dilemmas, difficult conversations and decision making with members of the public who stop by. The Committee provides medical ethics consultations to healthcare providers, patients and the public by calling 291-HOPE (4673) or emailing ethics@bhb.bm.

Ethics information, tools and advance directive booklets are available at bdahospitaldev.wpengine.com by searching ‘ethics’.

The BHB Ethics Committee comprises about 20 members, including clinical, administrative and community representatives. The Committee promotes awareness of ethical concerns at both KEMH and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, endorses medical ethics education, provides an ethics consultation service and produces guidelines on prominent issues that can help healthcare professionals consider all aspects of controversial decisions. The Committee also reviews medical research proposals on request and reviews hospital policies to ensure they are ethically sound.

BHB’s Ethics Committee maintains a close relationship with Dalhousie University’s Department of Bioethics, which provides assistance and training in ethical matters.

Featured photo credit: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

New Chief of Emergency and Hyperbaric Services announced

27 June 2018: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announces the appointment of Dr Chikezie Dean Okereke as Chief of Emergency and Hyperbaric Services, effective Monday 2 July 2018, on a three-year contract. He replaces Dr Edward Schultz, who has retired from BHB.

Dr Okereke has been employed in the Emergency Department of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital since August 2016. After graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Nigeria College of Medicine, Dr Okereke completed postgraduate medical training in the UK, obtaining a Fellowship in Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a Fellowship in Emergency Medicine from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. He has also completed a Masters in Medical Education from the University of Leeds.

Prior to joining BHB, Dr Okereke worked as a substantive consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Mid-Yorkshire NHS Trust in the UK for over 16 years. During this period, he held a number of senior medical leadership and training positions within the Trust, the West Yorkshire region and nationally. His main interests are in medical education and training, trauma and critical care. He is a member of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the British Medical Association, and regularly examines for the College of Emergency Medicine.

Dr Michael Richmond, BHB Chief of Staff, comments: “We are very pleased to announce Dr Chikezie Dean Okereke as the new Chief of Emergency and Hyperbaric Services. We are grateful to Dr Schultz, not only for his long service at BHB, but for continuing in position until this transition could take place. Dr Schultz will be missed by the community and staff and we wish him the very best for the future.

“We now look forward to Dr Okereke providing clinical leadership in ED and Hyperbaric Services to continue improving this busy service at the frontline of care, as we evolve to meet the complex demands of an aging, increasingly unwell population.”