Riverside Health Care Facilities working towards better patient safety

News Release
Riverside Health Care

Riverside Health Care (RHC) is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, in collaboration with the North West Local Health Integration Network, has approved funding for the Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MORE OB) program to be implemented in the obstetrics at the La Verendrye General Hospital site in Fort Frances.
The MORE OB program is a patient safety program for front line caregivers, clinical practitioners and administrators in hospitals with obstetrical units. This three year professional development and performance improvement program - which had a formal launch at the hospital today - is designed to improve clinical outcomes, decrease risk of adverse events and improve the quality of work life.
The MORE OB program model breaks down traditional hierarchy and practice and redirects the focus toward teamwork with an overarching vision in patient safety. The mission of this safety program is to create a culture where patient safety is everyone’s first priority by; developing effective teamwork and communication, eliminating a culture of blame, embracing learning, knowledge sharing and evaluation and to promote inter-professional collaboration with trust and respect.
“This nationally recognized program will ensure that our nurses and physicians, through inter-professional teamwork, receive consistent information and training which will support our continued commitment to providing safe, effective, high quality care to all our maternal and newborn patients,” stated Lori Maki, RHC, executive vice-president and chief nursing executive.
The MORE OB program manages obstetrical risk efficiently and includes foundational elements, inter-professional education, and collaborative practice with clinical content. Over the last 10 years the MORE OB program has been implemented across North America with participating hospitals demonstrating: improved outcomes, improved standardization and consistency of care practices, an improved and sustained patient safety culture and increased core clinical knowledge for all participants.
The RHC will work in partnership with the MORE OB program to move forward in continuing to build a culture of safety through the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours and practices that will always ensure that patient safety is the number one priority.
Dr. Lorena Jenks commented that “the participation in this program is significant in the safety and well-being of our maternity patients. I am pleased that our organization will receive this training as it will further enhance the skill sets of all staff involved in our obstetrical service.”
“Participation and recognition in the MORE OB program is a valuable tool and the result will be an even better birthing experience, as we deliver continually improving, safe patient care,” said Allan Katz, RHC’s president and chief executive officer, adding that the La Verendrye General Hospital welcomes over 180 births each year.