Care Environments is where we're providing
care to our patients.
But at the same time it's how we're planning our programs, it's how we're
coordinating our efforts around which services we are going to be delivering. So to me
that's what Care Environments speaks to, not necessarily just the actual physical
space, the physical environment, but how we're planning in the future for the
care that we'll be providing and physical environments in which we'll be giving that
care
Hospitals
are healing environments,
are places where
people are meant to
come sick
and leave feeling better. And while they're here they should feel comfortable
and at ease.
Some of the spaces we create to support
the patient-centred philosophy are things like wheelchair-accessible washrooms,
hand rails, bright lighting,
nice finishes, colours on the walls
views to the outside.
So people feel as though
they're in a place that they're connected with
the community and the environment.
Patient Environments has multiple components: the Master Plan Development,
the Ambulatory Review,
the Approved Development of Capital Projects and how we
conduct the capital project once it's approved.
All of these pieces
go into developing
from a
environment perspective
the best care we can
offer as a hospital.
And we hope that we can continue to create great patient care environments going forward.
Everything we do here
is that important to people.
Fom the light bulb,
to the electrical sockets,
to the running water,
to the air handling.
Every little piece of that is an integral role
in helping that patient get better
and to leave here with a positive experience.
The patient experience does in fact
come from physical environment just as much as the care that they're
provided with in that environment. So,
the changes that will be coming forth as a component of
Care Environments and these projects
are really going to
be central and foundational work to improving the experience of patients
and families when they come into North York General Hospital.
In the next three years there are a number of capital
projects that are underway.
We have our Emerg(ency) Department renovation that will create
a more patient-centric
triage and waiting area
and create entrances that
improve flow and efficiency.
We're also renovating our 7th and 8th floor of the southeast wing to become a new med/surge impatient unit:
single patient rooms,
decentralized workstations and supplies so that
clinical staff
are closer to the point of care. They're spending more time
seeing and being with patients than
fetching supplies and items that they need to care for the patient.
The biggest change that we'll see will be an improved service through the eyes
of the patient.
So, when you look at everything you do from a patient perspective and through the
eyes of the patients, it changes
the way you do things, it changes the way you behave, it changes your whole
perception on what my job is.
And this strategic plan is designed to do that. You have to
ensure that
you're delivering the right service,
that the
service that you're delivering
follows absolutely the best practice
and then you have to start building facilities around that. So it starts with
all of
the best practice notions in making sure we have all those
sorted out and then you design around that.