St. Mary’s Again a Leader for Patient Safety in National Report

St. Mary’s General Hospital continues to be recognized as one of the safest hospitals in Canada, with the seventh lowest mortality rate in the country and readmission rates that are significantly lower than the national average.

These achievements were recognized with today’s release by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) of performance indicators for 2017-18, including Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio (HSMR) and readmission rates. HSMR measures expected deaths versus actual deaths in acute care hospitals, with a ratio lower than 100 indicating fewer than expected deaths. St. Mary’s score was 74, compared to a national average of 89.

“These excellent results confirm the commitment by staff and physicians to St. Mary’s vision to be the safest and most effective hospital in Canada,” said Marco Terlevic, Acting President at St. Mary’s. ”St. Mary’s has consistently had among the lowest HSMR scores in Canada and we continue to be among the very best.”

St. Mary’s readmission rate for all patients is 7.6%, compared to the national average of 9.1%. By focusing on quality, senior friendly care, harm reduction and support for patients that extends after their discharge, St. Mary’s has continued to keep readmission rates low.

An example is St. Mary’s Integrated Comprehensive Care Program (ICC), a program pioneered by St. Joseph’s Health System which provides the right care at the right place, reducing emergency department visits and readmissions and improving the patient experience. The program gives the patient one number to call for 24/7 access to a care coordinator. Patients and families participate in the care plans which are customized and integrated across all episodes of care, and all members of the care team see the same health record for safer and more seamless decision making.

“The Integrated Comprehensive Care program is breaking down hospital walls and delivering high-quality care to our patients when they need it, and where they need it,” said Tom Stewart, President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System. “Empowered by technology, the ICC program has resulted in better patient outcomes, decreased the length of hospital stays and reduced the number of patient readmissions to hospital after their discharge.”

Contact:

Anne Kelly,
Manager, Communications
519-749-6578, ext. 1501
226-339-1903 (mobile)
akelly@smgh.ca