Transition to The New MUHC: We're well on our way!
The New MUHC is more than just the construction of the Glen site, the modernization of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) and the Lachine Hospital, and upgrades to our equipment. It is also a redefining of our clinical services and an opportunity to rethink and improve our practices: an ambitious project indeed! "This vast program is why we need to start preparing now," explained Marie-Claire Richer, Director of the Transition Support Office. "This is the only way to make sure we're ready in 2015."
Created in 2008, the Transition Support Office (TSO) exists, as its name indicates, to help our teams and managers prepare for the future. This is why hundreds of people at the MUHC are hard at work preparing for their transition. "The success of our transition will belong to all of these teams in the field who work tirelessly day after day to make this vision a reality," Marie-Claire emphasized.
Overall, the TSO will support more than 100 transition projects in all sectors of our organization. Here is an inside look at just a few of them.
Adult Psychiatry
In collaboration with the Department of Nursing's Transforming Care at the Bedside initiative, this project aimed to facilitate the merger of the two adult psychiatric care units at the MGH. The work involved renovating the unit, integrating both teams, and harmonizing approximately 50 clinical and administrative practices.
Over 100 people were affected by this transition. Despite a number of challenges, the main stakeholders showed both persistence and dedication. After years of hard work, the big move took place in June.
Chronic Viral Diseases Department
The goal of this project is to consolidate the Chronic Viral Diseases Department (which treats patients with HPV, HIV, different types of hepatitis, etc.) in view of its relocation to the Glen site. As one of the first multi-site outpatient clinics to go through this transformation, it will be a model for the various outpatient care consolidation projects supported by the TSO.
In this case, the focus is on harmonizing services, optimizing operations and resources, facilitating access to care and devising care models. It will also involve standardizing technology and databases.
Although still in the planning stage, working teams have already been created. The hope is that staff involvement and solidarity will be a driving force for future work.
Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI)
This project consists of harmonizing and optimizing all central line practices at every MUHC site to eliminate bloodstream infections and other associated complications.
This large-scale initiative is benefiting from TSO resources. It requires the participation of nurses from all care units along with nurse educators, infection prevention and control nurses, interventional radiologists, as well as interventional radiology nurses and technicians.
The work carried out by the clinical teams so far has been exceptional. The reinsertion rates for peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines decreased from 24% to 11%, and the number of bloodstream infections or other central line complications decreased by more than 50% between 2009-2010 and 2011-2012!
Montreal Children’s Hospital: Stratégie en route vers l’excellence (SERVE)
An important process for the Montreal Children's Hospital (MCH), SERVE is yet another project receiving support from the TSO. Launched in the spring, it aims to create a vision of the hospital's future as part of The New MUHC and determine the actions that are required for the transition.
The MCH created a working group made up of representatives from the hospital from different fields and with various expertise, in addition to a patient and family representative. This group will supervise the organization's overall transition and the alignment of related projects. It will also guide the work of various subcommittees.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Combining the two Neonatal Intensive Care Units of the MCH and Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) into a single department to open at the Glen site in 2015 poses considerable challenges. In addition to integrating teams and relocating, these units will have to review and harmonize their care model along with clinical and administrative processes and practices. Partner services affected by these changes will also have to modify certain practices.
Driving this project is a coordination committee that receives assistance from the TSO. Thanks to an interdisciplinary approach, it ensures that all groups affected (neonatology, nursing, therapeutic hospital services, etc.) have a hand in the transition.
Centre for Innovative Medicine at the Research Institute of the MUHC
The creation of a Centre for Innovative Medicine is a Canadian first. In addition to optimizing the experience of our research patients, this Glen site hub will help our researchers in their work thanks to a space and activities exclusively dedicated to clinical research.
Overseen by the Research Institute of the MUHC (RI MUHC), this project is ambitious, as it requires an in-depth review of all clinical and administrative procedures related to research processes. To date, many initiatives have already been carried out with the support of the TSO, including the creation of MCH and RVH pilot units.
The great progress achieved so far is indeed thanks to the contribution of many members of the scientific community.
"Our transition is well underway, and so far the results are very encouraging; however, time is going by fast," reminded Marie-Claire. "We need to keep working hard and continue ramping up our efforts. The move to the Glen site is an opportunity to transform how we do things; it is a unique chance to make the MUHC into the university hospital centre we want it to be. "