Bermuda Hospitals Board Awarded Three-Year Accreditation

(Hamilton, Bermuda, September 6, 2005) The Bermuda Hospitals Board is pleased to announce that King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) and Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) achieved accreditation for the next three years from the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA). The CCHSA will be conducting a follow-up visit in February 2006 to view our progress on a handful of identified areas of improvement.

Both hospitals underwent the voluntary accreditation process in May 2005. During their on-site visit, the expert CCHSA survey team examined everything from patient care and safety to staff development and board governance, building and equipment maintenance, infection control and patient chart completion, community partnerships, and quality of employees work life. They met with teams of staff, patients, family members and community partners and compared their own observations with BHB’s self-assessment.

“Above all, accreditation encourages a continuous, organisation-wide improvement in our performance and outcomes of care,” said Joan Dillas-Wright, Chief Executive Officer of the Bermuda Hospitals Board. “Undergoing this intense, rigorous accreditation process is part of our commitment to providing quality care to the community. We’re proud of our result and look forward to building on this success.”

Achievements

Among the achievements and ‘good practices’ the report highlighted are:

·Partnership with New England Organ Bank that has resulted in a successful organ recipient programme, benefiting residents of the island
·Rebranding of MWI as part of an effort to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness
·Hospital-wide quality improvement programme
·Approval from the Royal College of Psychiatry in the United Kingdom for training of resident psychiatrists
·Strong financial performance, resulting in net income that is reinvested in hospitals
·Establishment and implementation of BHB-wide strategic plan
·Creation of ethics committee
·Human resources road map focuses on alignment, commitment, competence, versatility and well being
·Development of a communications plan and strategies

In addition to positive comments, the CCHSA team also identified areas for improvement. Suggestions the team made include regular file drills; ongoing monitoring of staff satisfaction; continued review of patient chart management and attention to the current aging physical plant.

A follow up visit in February 2006 by the CCHSA team will focus on the following projects and processes that are currently underway:

·Renovating the morgue. This is currently underway and expected to be completed by November of this year.
·Issues relating to the aging plant. Implementation portion of estate master plan will be presented in February.
·Review of the credentialing process for all physicians and licensure of house officers. BHB Credentials Committee is reviewing process to ensure it is in keeping with the most recent international standards. Bermuda Medical Council is registering all house officers to work at BHB.
·Update on the physician manpower plan. Physician recruitment will be addressed by Health Council in 2006.

“The accreditation process is very meaningful, particularly because it provides us with an expert, objective view at every aspect of our organization,” said Jonathan Brewin, Chairman of the Bermuda Hospitals Board. “The process reinforces what we’re doing right and also where we need to improve. I extend my sincere thanks to the staff, patients and members of the community who participated in this exercise and made it a valuable, instructive experience for all of us.”

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