Quality Improvement & Patient Safety

Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) is committed to using best practices ensuring optimal patient outcomes.  To assist us in fulfilling this commitment, MAHC has adopted Health Quality Ontario’s definition of a high-quality health system and uses the Canadian & Patient Safety Framework, and the ultimate aims are:

• Improving key quality and safety areas
• Reducing unwarranted care variation
• Strengthening the delivery of high-quality health services that improve patient experiences and outcomes 

Quality Improvement Plan

The Excellent Care for All Act 2010 and other accountability agreements require all public hospitals, inter-disciplinary primary health care organizations, home and community care support services, and long-term care homes to create a Quality Improvement Plan every year. The Quality Improvement Plan for 2023-2024 was developed collaboratively, approved by our Board of Directors, and submitted to Health Quality Ontario.

Quality and Patient Safety Plan

MAHC's Quality and Patient Safety Plan defines five goal areas designed to drive improvement and to align Canadian legislation, regulations, standards, organizational policies and public engagement on patient safety and quality improvement.

Goal 1: People-Centred Care

People using health services are equal partners in planning, developing, and monitoring care to make sure it meets their needs and to achieve the best outcomes.  Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions and create a culturally-safe environment.

Goal 2: Safe Care

Health services are safe and free from preventable harm.  Avoiding injury.  Ensuring there’s a presence of a safety culture across the hospital.  Preventable harm is actively monitored and eliminated.

Goal 3: Accessible/Timely/Equitable Care

People have timely and equitable access to quality health services.  Reducing waits and unfavorable delays for both those who receive and those who give care.  Providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location and socio-economic status.

Goal 4: Appropriate/Effective/Efficient Care

Care is evidence based and people centred.  Providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit (avoiding underuse and overuse).  Doing the right thing for the right person at the right time.  Avoiding waste, in particular waste of equipment, supplies, ideas and energy.  We continue to avoid waste through participation in the Choosing Wisely Canada program.

Goal 5: Integrated Care

Health services are continuous and well coordinated, promoting smooth transitions.