~shared on behalf of Karen Oldfield, Interim President and CEO, and Dr. Nicole Boutilier, Executive Vice-President - Medicine and Clinical Operations
It’s been a little over a year since we launched the System Accountability Framework to support and strengthen Nova Scotia Health’s collaboration with our internal teams and our system partners, like EHS, long-term care providers, and other community organizations. System overcrowding is not an Emergency Department issue; we are focused on the flow of the entire health system.
By clearly defining accountability zones along with the associated roles, responsibilities, and processes, the framework clarifies who is responsible for specific access barriers, identifies processes to support patients as they transition through each accountability zone, and outlines service expectations. Our objective is to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time and by the right provider, to achieve the best access and outcomes for patients. By improving process clarity and associated accountabilities, we will unlock a better coordinated and integrated system that, ultimately, reduces delays in patient care.
The urgency to address ambulance offload delays was heightened by an Auditor General's report, while the No Patient Left Behind report laid the foundation for developing an innovative, system-wide framework.
In the 12 months since launching, we’re seeing significant strides in progress – through wait times, offload times and new ways to receive care in Emergency Departments. Each zone of accountability is contributing to these improvements.
Thank you for your leadership, innovative thinking, and dedication to transforming healthcare.
Read on for highlights in One Year in System Accountability.
