QHC to explain proposals Thursday at Shire Hall

County councillors will hear the ‘Proposed Solution for Closing the Funding Gap at Quinte Health Care’ from QHC’s Mary Clare Egberts, president and CEO; Brian Smith, board chair, and Susan Rowe, director of communications at Thursday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, beginning at 1 p.m. in Shire Hall.

A 21-page presentation titled ‘Ensuring QHC’s Long-Term Success Shared Problems, Shared Solutions’ is attached to the meeting’s agenda.

It touches on the hospital’s funding reform from 2011 to 2014 and notes “We are planning for a significant funding reduction for the 2013/14 year. The exact amount has not been confirmed by the ministry, but the funding gap could be as high as $10 million. Could climb by another $5 million in subsequent years.”

Answering the question ‘Is this the right way forward…?’ the presentation states in point form:
Long-term:
-new funding model is the right decision for our patients and for the stability of the system.
Shorter-Term:
-There is increasing need for hospital services.
-There is going to be less money for our hospitals.
-Status quo is not an option.
-The scope of the challenge is enormous.
-Timing is urgent.
-Tinkering around the edges will not be enough.
-Entire hospital sector needs transformational change.

Egberts and Smith are expected to explain QHC’s approach to meeting the challenge by aligning with the ministry of health’s long term care vision:
– Hospitals will focus on the acute care and are no longer the centre of the health care system
– More services will be delivered in the community
-Patients will be supported to stay in their homes
-All health care providers must focus on finding efficiencies, while increasing quality and safety.
“Creating a health care system to meet our needs now and into the future, within our available financial resources.”

QHC’s Proposed Solutions for Closing the Funding Gap
January 10, 2013

Between late-November 2012 and early January 2013, QHC managers and directors, with input from some physician leaders, developed a list of proposed solutions to address the funding gap. QHC is now starting the consultation process with its staff, physicians, unions, health care partners and communities.
The proposed solutions are organized under six key goals: to continue to enhance the quality of care; to ensure patients are receiving their care in the right place, from the right care provider; to ensure the services we deliver are meeting the health care needs of the patients in this region, within our available resources; to make QHC as efficient as possible; and to maximize our revenue streams.
1. Continue to enhance the quality of care
– Implement standardized care plans/clinical pathways
– Cohort some patient types across QHC (e.g., stroke patients)
– Increase the number of rehabilitation beds and reduce the number of complex continuing care beds
– Create better integration with community services (e.g., palliative)
– Move to more seven day/week therapies and support services

2. Ensure patients are receiving their care in the right place, from the right care provider
– Make more efficient use of all inpatient beds, which will allow QHC to reduce the number of beds at BGH, TMH and PECMH without reducing the inpatient services provided. This would be accomplished by:
o Reducing the number of patients who are waiting in hospitals for a more
appropriate placement in the community, focused on palliative and
cognitively challenged patients o Implementing standardized care plans (clinical pathways) and discharge planning
o Creating a surgical short stay unit and Acute Medicine rapid assessment
unit
– The reduction in inpatient beds at PECMH would mean that QHC could no longer staff the obstetrics program at that hospital and in the future all deliveries would need to be consolidated at BGH
– Divert less urgent patients away from the ERs

3. Ensure the services we deliver are meeting the health care needs of the
patients in this region, within our available resources
– Eliminate remaining outpatient physiotherapy and divert resources to more
inpatient physiotherapy
– Transition TMH lab to point-of-care testing
– Divert some of the remaining outpatient lab services to the community
– Consolidate all endoscopy at BGH once new ORs open

4. Make QHC as efficient as possible
– Find efficiencies in the management and administrative support structure
– Review current contracted services
– Reduce waste in office supply, printing, delivery, food, drugs
– Consolidate existing BGH ambulatory clinics in same physical space, sharing resources as possible
– Increase the use of telemedicine

5. Maximize our revenue streams
– Maximize preferred accommodation
– Maximize non-OHIP revenues
– Franchise opportunity, retail services, etc.
The presentation notes the long-term vision for PECMH remains as a “single entry point” for a range of primary care services.

In its next steps, QHC is promising to  “undertake more extensive physician and staff engagement process
“conduct community communications and engagement, primarily through advisory council of QHC, foundations and auxiliaries and broader public engagement supported by online and social media channels.

South East LHIN
71 Adam Street
Belleville, Ontario
Canada K8N 5K3
(613) 967-0196
Toll-free – 1-866-831-5446
Fax (613) 967-1341
email southeast@lhins.on.ca .

Quinte Health Care
Corporate Headquarters
265 Dundas Street E,
Belleville, K8N 5A9
969-7400 ext 2027
Fax: (613) 968-8234
email: info@qhc.on.ca
website feedback: http://www.qhc.on.ca/feedback-form-p1321.php

Contact information for Todd Smith, MPP

Belleville Office
81 Millennium Parkway, Unit 3
Belleville, ON
Tel: 613-962-1144
Fax: 613-969-6381
Toll Free: 1-877-536-6248
todd.smithco@pc.ola.org
Mailing Address:
PO Box 575
Belleville, Ontario
K8N 5B2

Picton Office
Unit C
The Armory 206 Main Street
Picton , Ontario K0K 2T0
Tel: 613-476-9616

Queen’s Park Address
Room 357, Main Legislative Building
Queen’s Park Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A8
Tel : 416-325-2702
Fax: 416-325-2675
todd.smith@pc.ola.org