Reinvesting $2 million in our hospital - Thanks to staff and doctors’ teamwork

By Rik Ganderton, President and CEO

Rouge Valley knows how to close a calendar year on a high note.

In fact, I’d say this is a trend – thanks to not only hard work, but also smart work by our staff, physicians and volunteers.

In the three years since we introduced our Deficit Elimination Plan and then Lean, we have gone from the hospital that “couldn’t” improve, to the hospital that “could” and does improve for its patients – everyday.

Following-up on a blog by my colleague – John Aldis, vice-president of corporate services and chief financial officer – Rouge Valley Health System finds itself in the enviable position of generating modest surpluses. As John said, “Efficiency is contagious.”

As a result, we have some very real reinvestments to make in our existing hospital services and facilities at both campuses.

So the Christmas, Hanukkah and happy holiday gift that our staff and physician team at Rouge Valley have delivered to our patients and community comes in two big packages. This is on top of the $650,000 in recently approved additional capital investments that John talked about.

Gift number one –
$1 million for 2010-11 Approved One-Time Expenditures

Our strong year-to-date financial performance has generated $1 million, which we have decided to invest in 24 important one-time items this fiscal year, including:
• Education and training for staff in critical care, emergency department, diagnostic imaging, labs, paediatrics/neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), labour and delivery, and biomedical engineering;
• Various minor repairs, renovations, and upgrades to hospital facilities;
• Stereotactic (surgical) biopsy supplies;
• Emergency department patient navigator role, for four months;
• And more.

Gift number two –
$1.09 million for 2011-12 Approved Budget Reinvestments

There is also $1.09 million in service reinvestments budgeted for the 2011-12 fiscal year that will go toward additional staff resources in key areas:
• Five medical short stay beds at Rouge Valley Centenary;
• Intensive care unit staffing;
• Pharmacy staffing to support medication reconciliation;
• New manager of quality, who will support implementation of requirements of the Excellent Care for All Act;
• Information technology project management; and
• Patient services representative staffing.

As the year 2010 comes to a close, I want to thank all staff, physicians and volunteers for putting our hospital in such good shape for the New Year and into 2012.