Investments in people drive better patient care

At Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, we are always looking for ways to improve our patients’ care. Our people – the staff, physicians and volunteers at our hospitals in Huntsville and Bracebridge – are our greatest asset, and we strive to ensure they have all of the skills and tools they need to perform at their best.

Especially in a hospital setting, knowledge is power and the more knowledge our staff has, the better equipped they are to help our patients. That’s why we have substantially increased the number of education hours for our staff, from over 3,000 in 2011 to 11,000 in 2012. Education opportunities are available both inside and outside the two hospitals.

Last year, we brought in experts to teach our staff about neonatal resuscitation, trauma nursing and emergency paediatric nursing. We have also developed several in-house programs that were made available to our staff. For example, our Clinical Nurse Educator recently developed an emergency room nurse training program and critical care nurse training program. These programs gave our nurses the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge and the flexibility to work in different units of the hospital.

This year we revised and implemented a new performance management system. The management team and frontline staff got together to brainstorm ideas. In addition to providing safe, quality care, we really focus on individual productivity and how it impacts the team as a whole.

A new Leadership Development Program will start in May for both our formal and informal leaders at MAHC. We used the Ontario Health Association Leadership Development Model to put the program together. Managers will spend four hours a month working through 15 competencies. The program includes reading materials, videos, classes and workshops.  Throughout the session, our managers will be able to strengthen their leadership skills. The program will also be open to other staff members who would like to increase their leadership abilities.

Our doctors, nurses and support staff are tasked with providing a high standard of quality care, so it’s a priority for us that they are given the opportunity to learn and grow.

To learn more about Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, please visit our website at www.mahc.ca.