In early June, the Blind River District Health Centre Corporation received the distinction of “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” – the highest ranking issued by Accreditation Canada under its Qmentum program.

The Blind River, Thessalon, and Matthews Memorial sites all participated in this rigorous survey.

“We’re standing proud!” says Gaston Lavigne, Chief Executive Officer. “In the past we’ve always had excellent results, however this is the first time we’ve received the highest commendation. Everyone in the organization – staff, physicians, volunteers, and board members – has truly dedicated himself and herself to providing exceptional safe and quality patient care. Clearly we’re seeing the results of that work.”

According to Accreditation Canada “Health care accreditation contributes to quality improvement and patient safety by enabling a health organization to regularly and consistently assess and improve its services.” Organizations in good standing typically go through this evaluation process once every four years. There are four possible decisions:

Not accredited
Accredited
Accredited with Commendation
Accredited with Exemplary Standing

Independent health experts are brought in to perform a meticulous evaluation of the hospital sites, examining all facets including leadership, governance, clinical services, and patient safety, just to name a few. In total, BRDHC was measured against 1,383 applicable standards, and met 1,369 – a success rate of 99%! All 45 Required Organizational Practices – or “must
have” practices – were fully met.

The Accreditation Canada surveyor report highlighted BRDHC’s commitment to integration and its engagement with the Thessalon and Matthews Memorial hospital sites. The report further detailed evidence of BRDHC’s openness, collaboration, and commitment to its community partners.

“In a rural setting, strong relationships are almost essential for success” says Lavigne. “We’re very pleased that our commitment to our partners is evident and was reflected in our results.”
BRDHC has been accredited for a four-year period.

The next evaluation cycle will take place in 2018.

The Blind River District Health Centre has some new faces joining its Board of Trustees. Erik Jokinen, Cameron Ross, and Lucy Ann Trudeau were elected by acclamation during BRDHC’s Annual General Meeting. Guy Clement and Bruce Ibbitson were both reelected to the Board and will continue for a 3 year term as Trustees. The Annual General Meeting took place
June 17th 2014 in the community of Thessalon.

During the application phase, the Board had identified a need for experts in several areas including financial expertise, risk management, and clinical experience. Each elected Trustee brings with them a unique set of skills that helped to fill those needs.

Erik Jokinen brought with him an accounting and financial background, as well as previous governance experience. Cameron Ross has formal education in Risk Management. Lucy Ann Trudeau brings experience in health services planning with particular emphasis on health needs of aboriginal communities. Bruce Ibbitson has a background in project management and human resources. Finally, Guy Clement has expertise in information technology, as well as a cultural understanding of the Francophone community and several years of experience on the Board of Trustees.

Governance for hospital boards has been changing in recent years, with more emphasis placed on the skills make-up of its members. “It’s important to have Trustees with a variety of experience and expertise” says Gaston Lavigne, CEO of the Blind River District Health Centre. “If half of your board is made up of accountants, you might have a lot of knowledge on finance, but more than likely you’ll be missing knowledge in other areas such as human resources and recruitment. All of the different skills help the Board make more informed decisions and produce better results.”

Also new to the Board of Trustees is Dr. Marc Bradford in the role of Chief of Staff, following the resignation of Dr. Chris Barnes from the position. Trustee Donna Latulippe has been elected to the role of 2nd Vice-Chair, while Trustees Wolf Kirchmeir and Roger Boyer II will continue to serve in their roles of Chair and 1st Vice-Chair, respectively.