Colleagues Corner
Horizon physician completes Critical Care Echocardiography examination
Dr. Maen Alqdah, a Respirology and Intensive Care Specialist and director of Respiratory Care Services at Horizon’s The Moncton Hospital recently successfully completed his Critical Care Echocardiography board examination. This is the first examination delivered by the American National Board of Echocardiography (NBE) in this new branch of medicine. There is no equivalent Board in Canada, and the NBE is recognized by multiple associations and societies in Canada. Dr. Alqdah has worked in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 12 years, taking care of the hospital’s most critically-ill patients. In the last decade, he said, ultrasound has become a very important tool for physicians in the ICU. “It’s almost replacing the stethoscope,” he said. This certification and training will allow him to perform Advanced Critical Care Echocardiography — ultrasound of the heart — on patients of all ages. These ultrasounds can be performed every one to two hours to see how a patient’s health is progressing, and to flag and manage issues immediately. “This has a huge impact,” said Dr. Alqdah. “The point of care ultrasound is most important to be done at the time you need it most.” “If you have a sick patient the middle of the night, that’s the time you need to do
the test; by the next day, the decisions that you’ve made based on your finding would have made a big difference,” he explained. “If you wait until the next day, things could have changed because the heart and the cardiovascular system’s response to illness are continuously changing so you need to capture it continuously.” Dr. Alqdah can also interpret images when an Echocardiography technician is not available, which allows for a quicker treatment of patient. Images are also stored and shared for comparison and reference in future cases. He will soon work with a new transesophageal ultrasound probe, which will treat patients
Dear Staff, Physicians and Volunteers, As I write this I have spent the last few weeks traveling around to many Horizon facilities to meet with staff and discuss what’s next for our organization. Currently we are in the early stages of developing our new strategic plan, and I’ve already received great feedback from staff, physicians and community members. It’s imperative that I hear from you, as you are the staff on the frontlines serving our communities. I hope you will continue to share your ideas and your honest
A welcome note from the editor
Welcome to the 17th edition of the Horizon Star! I am so happy and proud to share with you the Horizon Star has won a Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Award of Excellence for Best Internal Publication. I learned of this news just days before my deadline to write my Editor’s Note, which has given me some time to reflect on this honour. I share this award with so many people. My Communications colleagues contribute stories to every issue and many help review and edit the publication in full, and our Translation team does an impeccable job bringing the stories to life in French. I could also not do without the graphic designers who turn all of our words and photos into pages that are visually interesting and cohesive. And our volunteers, who have helped make the print distribution in all our regional hospitals possible. And our printing partner, Advocate. And I definitely could not do it without all of you. The Horizon Star was a direct result of your feedback: Only a few years ago we heard from you that Horizon needed to improve internal communications. To figure out how to do that, we held focus groups with many frontline employees, developed an Internal Communications Framework and implemented recommendations from that framework, including four related to our internal newsletter. You were immediately engaged in the redevelopment process, as you were asked to submit names for the newsletter. We received more than 100 submissions from staff and physicians from 13 different facilities across Horizon. Ultimately, the Horizon Star was chosen. You told us that you didn’t want a newsletter that only generated awareness of corporate messages and rehashed press releases; you wanted to see yourselves and people you work with in the pages of the publication. That’s why we developed recurring features Look Who’s Shining, which showcases the work of Horizon employees outside the organization, and Colleagues’ Corner, which profiles a particular position or team in support of sharing best practices and success stories across the organization. It’s also because of you we print the magazine, and distribute to all Horizon facilities. I also hope you’ve found the process to submit articles has improved with the introduction of the HorizonStar@ HorizonNB.ca email address. The award recipients and the level at which they won (gold, silver or bronze) at will be announced at an awards ceremony at the CPRS National Conference in Edmonton in mid-June. If you’d like to read more on the CPRS and its Awards of Excellence, you can visit cprs.ca. Happy reading,
Dr. Maen Alqdah is photographed in his office in the Professional Arts Building in Moncton in May.
perspectives when the consultation process formally begins for the new strategic plan. You will have an opportunity to engage in a variety of ways including larger meetings with me and our Board chair, as well as smaller meetings with your manager and through an online platform on our website. This province and across Canada recognizes there is a nursing shortage. I realize there are shortages for other health care professions as well. Please know that Horizon’s Human Resources team is working around the clock to recruit staff to ensure patient and client care isn’t negatively affected.
when physicians and technicians can’t see through their chest wall because of trauma. Dr. Alqdah is one of only a few physicians in Canada to complete this examination, and may be in the only one in Atlantic Canada. He’ll work with colleagues in Critical Care and Emergency Departments who are interested in learning more about Advanced Critical Care Echocardiography, which will advance the diagnostic abilities of the hospital’s Critical Care team and ultimately provide better patient care and outcomes.
5 5
4 4
The ultrasound used in Advanced Critical Care Echocardiography.
Karen McGrath President and CEO However, I believe strongly that recruitment alone is not the answer to all of our health care woes. We need to change the way we do things in this province, particularly in the way we provide community care. We need to identify gaps and find efficiencies across our organization. Delivering health care services in New Brunswick isn’t going to get any easier; in fact it will become more challenging as our population ages. Our province simply can’t afford an abundance of new buildings and shiny new equipment. We can’t simply do what we’ve always done, because it’s the way it was done in the past. We need to do things differently. We need to start by addressing the actual determinants of health. It’s important that we develop Horizon’s strategic plan and involve our staff and stakeholders in doing so. We need everyone involved to feel a part of our strategic plan and believe in it, to be successful. I do believe we’re on the right track and our focus is clear, which is to provide safe and quality care for our patients/clients and their families. For this reason I encourage you to engage in the consultation process, which is set to begin in the coming months. I understand how the continued mention of staff shortages doesn’t only affect our patients, but our staff and their families as well. I encourage you to listen to your body and listen to your mind and ensure that you take time to rest and look after yourselves. There is no better time to recharge than doing so while enjoying New Brunswick’s beautiful weather. Sincerely,
Training supports Horizon’s patient safety incident management process In late March, Horizon’s Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management Services attended an education session given by Carolyn Hoffman, President and CEO of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada). ISMP Canada is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and promotion of safe medication practices. Horizon invited this global leader in patient the last decade,” said Lauza Saulnier, Regional Director, Quality & Patient Safety. Currently, Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management Services are leading a Patient Safety Incident Management Project to
From top to bottom, left to right: Tony Robichaud, Quality Consultant; Rosemary Boyle, Patient Safety Consultant; Alice Damon, Chief Quality & Patient Safety Officer; Lauza Saulnier, Regional Director Quality & Patient Safety; Jennifer Landry, Risk Management Consultant; Peggy McEachreon, Risk Management Assistant; John Glidden, Risk Management Consultant; Carolyn Hoffman, President & CEO ISMP Canada; Lynn Moore, Risk Management Consultant; Sandra Rooney, Regional Director Risk Management; Michelle Anglehart, Patient Safety Consultant; Paula Pickard, Patient Safety Consultant; Janice Butler, Risk Management Consultant; Amy Mullin, Quality Consultant; Rose McKenna, Quality Consultant; and Lyzandra Pereira, Quality Consultant. further align Horizon’s processes with ISMP’s report recommendations, recent legislative and regulatory changes, and best practices followed in other Canadian health authorities. The team’s training session with ISMP Canada was part of their work in revamping Horizon’s patient safety incident management process.
safety to provide a customized Incident Analysis Workshop to help build Horizon’s capacity and expertise. The training allowed the team to further their understanding of the incident review process and its purpose, and taught them how to create strong recommendations, which are critical in successfully managing patient safety incidents. Previously, Horizon had engaged ISMP Canada to recommend a framework for adverse incident management, as well as other key opportunities for improvement, that would improve the reliability and effectiveness of Horizon’s patient safety incident management process. “The foundations of a safe and just culture already exist at Horizon, but it needs to be expanded and enhanced in order to keep up with the changes Horizon has undergone in
Karen McGrath President and CEO Horizon Health Network
GinaBeth Roberts Editor, Horizon Star
Want to tell your colleagues about the services you provide for patients and staff throughout Horizon? Email HorizonStar@HorizonNB.ca .
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker