Current News > December 20^th, 2011: The Hospital’s new strategic plan will chart a course to continue its leadership role in meeting community healthcare needs

The Hospital’s new strategic plan will chart a course to continue its leadership role in meeting community healthcare needs

Kemptville, Ontario, Canada December 20, 2011

As Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) enters its new strategic planning cycle, it is developing a program that recommits the hospital to staying ahead of the health system curve. A new wave of healthcare reform is undoubtedly coming to Ontario – with an aging population and massive government debt, the province must institute new rules and regulations to drive improvements in the quality, cost and efficiency of hospitals and health systems.

Kemptville Hospital’s new strategic plan will clearly outline its goals for the future and how it will achieve them. The essence of the plan will be to embrace changes in the healthcare system and take a leadership role to make those changes happen more quickly. KDH has moved away from a reliance on the traditional role of the acute care hospital, charting a path instead toward a broadly imagined health promotion hub capable of fulfilling its mandate of building healthier communities. The hospital’s CEO, Colin Goodfellow, explains: “Our job is to know we are not here to be a hospital, but to serve the healthcare needs of the community. We are looking at transitioning to tomorrow.”

As KDH’s current three year planning cycle is coming to an end, the hospital’s Board of Directors has been evaluating the success of the outgoing strategic plan. The 2009 to 2012 plan was built around supporting the work of the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN); the LHINs were put in place in 2006 to facilitate efficient and effective health service integration. KDH’s last plan outlined goals for modeling and enabling health system integration in three separate planes of services: population health; the KDH complex; and development of clinical partnerships. The plan also committed KDH to being a high performing organization.

Was it successful? The answer is yes, according to the Board. With respect to the population health plane, KDH’s diabetes education doubled its locations; additional primary care physicians were attracted to the hospital; and a second location, with the capacity for 20 family physicians, opened in Barrhaven in November, 2011. Core KDH complex activities outlined in the last strategic plan included the opening of a new 38,000 square foot, $23 million wing, which enabled the hospital to change its service profile, adding a mammography suite and total joint replacement program; this in turn resulted in the opening of 12 inpatient beds for post-surgical care. In this area of integration, KDH also acquired land to support the growth of the complex and developed a fully approved and county-endorsed plan for a seniors’ supported housing facility that is shovel ready, and waiting for the right funding environment. The third plane of health services outlined in the last strategic plan was development of clinical partnerships; much progress has been made in this area as well. KDH became part of the regional PACS data repository for medical record integration, with digital images read at Queensway Carleton Hospital. KDH is also a champion of the Ottawa Heart Institute’s clinical protocols for area patients and a Regional Orthopedic Focus site, and active on the regional palliative care planning team; in addition KDH has enabled numerous health service providers to offer local services to the people of Barrhaven and Manotick through the Rideau Valley Health Services Centre.

In terms of operating performance, service levels are rising in emergency visits, day surgery cases, and now, with the addition of postoperative inpatient care in the October 2011, inpatient days are increasing as well. Inpatient satisfaction averages 95 percent over the last four years, while ER patient satisfaction averages 91 percent. Staff satisfaction has risen steadily over the past five years and now averages 75 percent, approximately 10 percent above the industry average. KDH also consistently balances its budget.

KDH’s Board of Directors is pleased with the results achieved in the implementation of its 2009 to 2012 strategic plan, and is focused on continuing to try to move the healthcare system forward with the next strategic plan. “We’re very proud of what the hospital has accomplished in the past few years,” says Board Vice Chair Lis Angus, “We’ve increased the breadth of the services we provide, and we are becoming a hub for health in our community.”

KDH’s new strategic plan covers the period from 2012 to 2015. It’s difficult to predict what Ontario’s healthcare system will look like four years from now. The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) has identified several possible models for structural reform, each of which will be carefully considered by the KDH Board of Directors. As Lana LeClair, KDH’s Manager of Corporate Affairs and Organizational Development, points out, in preparation of the last strategic plan KDH studied all the options for reform and positioned itself to respond to a number of different eventualities. Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the Chair of the hospital’s Board of Directors. “In today’s rapidly changing and politically charged healthcare environment,” he says, “our challenge is to stay relevant; we need to grow the variety of services KDH offers and increase the efficiency of service delivery.”

LeClair helps to facilitate the strategic planning process. She is passionate about making Ontario’s healthcare system patient-centric and committed to the strategic planning process, which includes visioning with the hospital’s Board of Directors, senior administrative and medical staff, the municipalities of North Grenville and Nepean-Carleton, and hub partners (Beth Donovan Hospice, Kemptville and District Home Support, etc). The process also includes participant surveys evaluating current strategic plan directions for ongoing viability, the drafting of a consultation document indicating key focus areas, and consultation with the Champlain LHIN. The new strategic plan is scheduled to be approved in April 2012.

KDH has a reputation for providing exceptional care for patients one-on-one. Its Board of Directors and administration are equally committed to making an important contribution to the health of the community as a whole. In an era when the traditional role of small hospitals – as acute care facilities – is in decline, KDH is envisioning a future as a broader outreach organization. Six years ago the hospital was slated to be turned into a long-term care facility; today it is transformed, thriving, and defining a new future.

For more information, please contact Jenny Read, jread@kdh.on.ca, 613.285.0301.

If you would like to make comments or suggestions about hospital services, please contact Kemptville District Hospital Chief Executive Officer Colin Goodfellow at 613.258.6133 extension 132, or by email at cgoodfellow@kdh.on.ca.

Current News > November 29^th, 2011: Rideau Valley Health Centre Now Open and Accepting New Patients

Rideau Valley Health Centre Now Open and Accepting New Patients, November 28, 2011

New Family Health Centre serving Barrhaven, Ottawa South and Manotick now open; Urgent Care Centre to open early Februrary, 2012

Nepean, Ontario, Canada - November 28, 2011

The Rideau Valley Health Centre (RVHC) celebrated its Grand Opening on Friday, November 18, 2011. Among the attendees were Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod, Ward 3 Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder, representatives of the Champlain LHIN, Dr. Robert Rowan, the Health Centre's Chief Physician, its Manager, Marion Moritz, members of the Boards of Directors of Rideau Valley Health Services and Kemptville District Hospital (KDH), Rideau Valley Health Centre staff, Ottawa South Diabetic Education and Support Program, representatives of ZW Group and TD Graham + Associates.

Moritz, Harder, KDH Board of Directors Chair Jean-Jacques Rousseau and KDH CEO Colin Goodfellow joyfully cut the ribbon stretched across the front of the building and declared the new multi-service health facility officially open.

The family practice, with a capacity for 10 to 12 physicians, is the first component of this holistic healthcare facility to open; an Urgent Care Centre capable of handling all but the most serious emergencies, and onsite Diagnostic Imaging (x-ray and ultrasound) will open in early February 2012.

Also coming soon are a pharmacy and an array of family health services, such as the Champlain Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), the Beth Donovan Hospice, and a variety of specialist clinics usually located in hospitals. The RVHC facility is already home to the Ottawa South Diabetes Education and Support Program, a multidisciplinary team that includes a Registered Dietitian and a Registered Nurse dedicated to improving the quality of life of clients living with and at risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod expressed her delight at the opening of this state of the art facility that will provide much needed services to her constituents. Jan Harder, Councillor for Ward 3 Barrhaven, spoke of it as a "blessing" for Barrhaven and the surrounding area. Chair of KDH's Board of Directors Jean-Jacques Rousseau commended CEO Colin Goodfellow for his vision and a lot of hard work. Goodfellow responded that MacLeod, Harder, and a number of community representatives had worked very hard over the course of the planning and build - recognizing the great need for such services in their area.

The RVHC helps to provide an answer to the family doctor shortage for residents of Barrhaven, Ottawa South and Manotick, it will make urgent care with a shorter wait time available, and cut down on traffic in area hospital emergency rooms. All this at no cost to taxpayers or the City of Ottawa - through an innovative funding model, the multi-service family healthcare facility pays for itself.

Located at 1221 Greenbank Road (at Berrigan Drive) in Barrhaven, the RVHC is accepting new patients; persons interested in enrolling may contact the RVHC at 613-258-8710. Please note that the family practice is not a walk-in. The hours of operation of the family practice are Monday to Friday 0800 to 1600 hours; Saturday 0830 to 1230 hours. Hours of the family practice will increase in the new year as several more physicians come on board.

All photographs are taken by: Brenda Bryan

 

 

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Current News > November 29^th, 2011: Kemptville District Hospital performing knee replacement surgeries in innovative partnership with The Ottawa Hospital

Kemptville District Hospital performing knee replacement surgeries in innovative partnership with The Ottawa Hospital

Program cuts wait times for patients and frees up The Ottawa Hospital's operating rooms for trauma cases

Kemtpville, Ontario, Canada - November 29, 2011

Thanks to an innovative partnership with The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) has recently begun performing knee replacement surgeries. One of only a handful of small hospitals in Ontario performing total joint replacements, KDH is helping to cut regional wait times for these surgeries, as well as freeing up TOH's operating rooms for life or death trauma cases.

The concept of a partnership between a large urban teaching hospital and a small-town hospital began to take shape last spring between senior administrative and medical staff. The medical planning for the joint program was led by KDH's Chief of Staff, Dr. Greg Leonard, and The Ottawa Hospital's Head of Orthopedic Surgery, Dr. Geoff Dervin who, fittingly, performed the first knee replacement surgery at KDH on October 17, 2011. Dr. Dervin had been performing outpatient orthopedic surgery at KDH since 2006. He perceived an opportunity for the two hospitals to work together to solve the problem of a lack of operating room capacity at TOH, and a backlog of patients waiting for new knees. The partnership is a creative use of wait-time funding, a federal pot of money allocated provincially.

Initiated in 2004, the provincial wait-time fund aims to cut waiting times in five designated procedures: hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, heart operations, diagnostic imaging and cancer radiotherapy. In order to decompress its operating rooms and get through its waiting list more quickly, TOH was prepared to bring surgeons, patients and wait-time funding to KDH, which would provide the operating rooms, nursing and allied health staff, and inpatient care.

Dr. Dervin was already familiar with the quality of the operating rooms at KDH; his only reservation was the distance – he wasn't sure that patients would be willing to travel for their surgeries. As it turns out, "Patients love coming here," he says, "for the amazing patient care." Kemptville's proximity to Highway 416 means it's a short trip from Ottawa. Knee replacement patients are also coming to KDH from Cornwall, Renfrew and the surrounding area.

Building on its own growing orthopedic program, KDH has expanded the knee replacement program to include its own surgeons. Dr. Paul Shim has joined the KDH surgical team to perform additional surgeries. With available operating room space, Shim plans to be busy.

A program addition of this scope has been transformational for KDH. Moving to total joint replacements meant not only a new orthopedic operating room (included four years ago in the design for KDH's 2010 expansion), but also 12 new beds for inpatients requiring postoperative care, the hiring and training of nurses, and purchase of new state of the art surgical and sterilization equipment. The speed of the transformation was astounding. Cathy Watson, Manager of Clinical Programs, explains: "It took the whole building working as a team to make this happen." Catherine Van Vliet, Director of Patient Services and Integration, agrees, "All staff, from admitting to x-ray, had to be aligned and focused to achieve this progressive transformation."

TOH was a "remarkable partner" in the process, says Van Vliet, generously providing training for KDH operating room nurses on the procedure, and sharing care pathways and processes. Jack Kitts is the President and CEO of TOH, a complex comprising the General, Civic and Riverside campuses. "This partnership has proven that through integration and collaboration we can improve access to quality care," he states. Paula Doering, TOH Vice-President, Clinical Programs, adds, "Collaboration by staff at both organizations is a model for how health care organizations can work together."

With a roster of seven orthopedic surgeons, KDH is offering total joint replacement three days per week, with four surgeries per day. A four-joint day is difficult to achieve for city and country hospital alike, according to KDH's OR Team Leader, Julie Summers, necessitating the efficient functioning of every member of the team. KDH has a total of three operating rooms running at near capacity now, with two older OR's under renovation. Shoulder surgeries are also offered at KDH; hip replacements may be available in the future.

"The key to success is a strong team, and that's what we've built here," states Janet York-Lowry, facilitator for the total joint program. She is the first point of contact with knee replacement patients, conducting a screening interview to determine a patient's suitability for the program. The patients selected for total joint replacement at KDH are healthy, low risk patients who will be discharged after a two or three day stay in hospital. Pain management is critical in post-operative patient care, and new protocols were required in the shift from day to inpatient surgery, says KDH Charge Pharmacist Mary Whyte. Also key to patient recovery is physiotherapy; recipients of new knees are visited by a physiotherapist within hours of their surgery, and are on their feet the following day. Ice, compression, and elevation help with the swelling, explains physiotherapist Meg O'Brien; if pain and swelling are under control the patient's walking improves more quickly.

Renie Schonberg was the first patient to undergo knee replacement surgery at KDH on October 17. One month later, she's finishing physiotherapy and enjoying increased range of motion in her knee. She commends the staff at KDH, who were "genuinely eager to help, every one of them." "The minute I stepped in, I was welcomed," she says, "and it just went up from there." She was especially pleased when one of the nurses called her at home the following week to see how she was doing.

After discharge, further physiotherapy may be arranged by the Champlain Community Care Access Centre (CCAC); another innovative aspect of the total joint replacement program at KDH is that the CCAC comes into contact with the patient at the beginning of the surgical process, rather than at the end. The client-focused approach embodied in the partnership with the CCAC results in a successful and early discharge. "Our Case Manager works closely with KDH staff to ensure that these patients can transition home safely and continue with physiotherapy if required," says Gilles Lanteigne, CEO, Champlain CCAC. "We welcome this partnership and commend the KDH and TOH for this new initiative."

KDH CEO Colin Goodfellow describes the addition of the total joint replacement program as a milestone that "changes the profile of the organization and provides a new model for the contribution of small hospitals to the wellness of the population in a health system on the verge of restructuring and reform."

KDH's partnership with TOH was welcomed by the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). "This successful partnership is an example of the out-of-the-box thinking our health system requires to continuously improve and meet the growing needs of our population," says Sari Kline, Lead for Emergency Departments and Wait Times at the Champlain LHIN. "With our mandate to help integrate health care, we welcome Kemptville District Hospital into the LHIN's network of orthopedic services, and look forward to supporting this and future collaborative efforts."

For more information contact Jenny Read, jread@kdh.on.ca, 613.285.0301

 

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Current News > November 17^th, 2011: Rideau Valley Health Centre celebrates Grand Opening

Rideau Valley Health Centre celebrates Grand Opening Friday, November 18, 2011

Nepean, Ontario, Canada, November 11, 2011

Rideau Valley Health Services Limited (RVHS) is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of the new Rideau Valley Health Centre (RVHC) on Friday, November 18th, 2011 at 8:30 am. Located at 1221 Greenbank Road (at Berrigan Drive), the RVHC meets a pressing need in the Ottawa South, Barrhaven and Manotick communities for family physicians. Moreover, the impressive new Health Centre meets that need as the first phase of a state-of-the-art 15,000 square foot healthcare complex that will include an Urgent Care Centre, onsite diagnostic imaging, a pharmacy, and capacity for an array of family health services.

With a Family Health Organization (FHO) designation, the RVHC was designed to house a large practice of 10 or 12 family physicians. There are 24 examination rooms, several doctors' offices, multiple computer stations and well-appointed treatment rooms. If a patient requires an x-ray or ultrasound, there will be no need for a trip to a clinic or hospital; starting mid-February 2012, diagnostic imaging will be done on-site. Thoughtful scheduling will maximize the efficiency of the Health Centre; for example, babies in the practice requiring regular immunization will be scheduled for appointments on the same day to streamline the process of administering their shots.

Dr. Robert Rowan was the first family physician to make the decision to relocate to the RVHC. He is excited about working to improve the health of the local community in this new multi-service facility. In his own words: "I am extremely happy and proud to be able to work in this incredible and beautiful medical facility. Those who know me or have met me recently know that my excitement level is running high. It seems like I have been waiting for such a wonderful opportunity and facility for a long time. We have some great physicians who will be starting here in a phased-in process, and look forward to recruiting many more physicians interested in providing state of the art medicine in a state of the art facility."

Marion Moritz is the manager of the RVHS complex. She brings many years' experience in emergency room nursing and management, including 10 years as Executive Director of the Orleans Urgent Care Clinic. She was "happy to join the team," she states, "and excited about the opportunity to build something from the ground up."

The RVHS Urgent Care Centre will open mid-February, 2012, concurrent with diagnostic imaging. An urgent care facility has many of the same capabilities as a hospital emergency department, and is staffed by emergency physicians and registered nurses; there are two significant differences, however: urgent care facilities don't accept ambulances and they don't admit patients. With the ability to triage patients and the presence of onsite diagnostics, the RVHS Urgent Care Centre will be capable of doing approximately 80% of what a hospital emergency room (ER) can do. It will cast broken bones, treat dislocated shoulders, cuts, sprains, headaches, bronchitis, infections, minor trauma – in short, the maladies that clog hospital ERs.

Moritz explains that approximately 75% of visitors to a hospital ER could be treated at an urgent care centre. Cost effective to operate, urgent care centres offer quick and efficient one-stop service, taking the pressure off crowded ERs. For patients, this translates to a normal wait time of under an hour, rather than several hours, or one-quarter of ER wait times. RVHS' nine urgent care examining rooms will make it possible for 200 patients to be seen per day.

A critical element of an urgent care centre is its laboratory functioning. RVHS' Urgent Care Centre will be using innovative point-of-care technology. Point-of-care testing (POCT) is defined as medical testing at or near the site of patient care, increasing the likelihood that the patient, physician, and care team will receive the results more quickly, and allowing for immediate clinical management decisions to be made. POCT includes blood glucose testing, drug abuse screening, urine strips testing, pregnancy testing, hemoglobin diagnostics, and cholesterol screening. POCT is accomplished through the use of transportable, portable, and handheld instruments and test kits. RVHS is grateful to former KDH lab manager Patti Boyd (recently retired) for her help in developing the plan for laboratory services.

As mentioned earlier, the RVHS complex has the capacity to house an array of family health services in addition to the family health centre, the urgent care centre, diagnostic imaging, and the pharmacy (coming soon). Specialist clinics will save patients a trip to a hospital, where they are normally located, and also cut down on traffic at the hospital. Meanwhile, the RVHS facility is already home to the Ottawa South Diabetes Education and Support Program, a multidisciplinary team that includes a Registered Dietitian and a Registered Nurse dedicated to improving the quality of life of clients living with Type 2 diabetes and those at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The group offers diabetes and pre-diabetes education and counseling; group programs start every month.

Unlike the majority of healthcare facilities, the RVHS complex is located adjacent to a suburban shopping mall, Barrhaven's Village Square Mall to be exact. The new 15,000 square foot facility was architect-designed and purpose-built to RVHS specifications. Another innovative aspect of the facility is that it is not owned by a healthcare corporation, but leased from the property owner, with the lease to be paid by the providers of services sharing the space, such as the pharmacy, and the family physicians. The RVHC family physicians are paid by OHIP and, like doctors with their own practices, they will pay for the overhead of the space in which they practice – heat, hydro, etc. And the end result is a multi-service family healthcare facility that pays for itself.

RVHS CEO Colin Goodfellow (also CEO of Kemptville District Hospital) describes the Barrhaven complex as a "new model of health service delivery". Where a brand new hospital would have cost in the neighbourhood of $80 million, he explains, and would have taken many years to plan and fundraise for, this facility cost taxpayers nothing and is open 24 months from the inception of the project.

The vision of the RVHS holistic healthcare facility grew out of increased demand on the emergency department of Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) and an obvious need in the outlying communities for family physicians. The KDH catchment area includes Barrhaven, Manotick and other neighbourhoods in Ottawa South, whose populations have all grown substantially over the last decade. KDH administration tackled the problem with some innovative thinking, developing a plan to sponsor this new initiative. KDH has used its financial leverage to build this facility, which will be self-sufficient once it's up and running. No capital funding was used.

Rideau Valley Health Services would like to recognize the contribution of Ottawa commercial construction firm ZW Group and the trades for all their hard work in readying the facility for opening. Health Centre Manager Marion Moritz praises ZW Group: "their attention to detail, planning and execution is wonderful." Also instrumental in bringing RVHC to its opening day were IT specialists IDS Systems Consultant, and suppliers The Computer Media Group, Toshiba, Carestream, Ontario Medical Supply, Shoppers Home Supply, and The Stevens Company.

Residents of Ottawa South, Barrhaven and Manotick interested in registering for a family physician should visit the RVHC website, www.rvhc.ca, and fill out the registration form available from the home page; patients' names and contact information will be added to a database and individuals will be contacted when a physician becomes available.

The Ottawa South Diabetes Education and Support Program is accepting referrals via the RVHC website or by email, diabetes@rvhs.ca.

For more information please contact Jennifer Read, KDH Communications, at jread@kdh.on.ca or 613.285.0301.

 

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Current News > November 7^th, 2011: Kemptville District Hospital Opens Digital Mammography Unit

Kemptville District Hospital Opens Digital Mammography Unit

DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY – BRINGING THE BEST TECHNOLOGY TO KEMPTVILLE AND AREA

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Kemptville District Hospital Foundation, KDH was able to purchase the best mammography technology currently available. A digital unit was selected, as digital mammography images have better contrast than film-screen images and the technology images dense breast tissue, usually found in premenopausal women, much more clearly. These digital images are done at a lower radiation dose as well, compared to film-screen mammography. When this machine was tested by the government to ensure its performance within the strict standards, the tester commented that he was quite impressed with the quality of the images of his test phantom. Of the spots, specks and masses that vary in size in the phantom, he could see a speck group that usually doesn't show up.

Mammography imaging at KDH is performed by highly skilled Medical Radiation Technologists who have additional training, education and experience in mammography and are registered with the College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario.

Cathy Watson is the Manager of Clinical Programs, including Diagnostic Imaging. She is very proud of the Diagnostic Imaging team’s commitment to patient care. Many of the hospital’s departments have been working together for almost a year to make the new mammography suite a reality; together they take pride in what they have accomplished.

One of the Mammography Technologists is Karen Finner, herself a cancer survivor. She has been working at KDH for 14 years. It was on her first day of work at the hospital that she discovered a lump in her breast. Three years of surgery, chemotherapy and drug treatment followed. Today she is a big proponent of mammograms for early detection. She urges women not to put off their mammograms, offering reassurance that although mammograms can be uncomfortable, KDH’s Medical Radiation Technologists endeavor to put patients at ease. Read Karen Finner's story in her own words.

The mammograms performed at KDH are screening mammograms, for women without any symptoms. Screening mammograms are done to find very early breast cancer, which cannot yet be felt during a breast exam. Finding early breast cancer offers the best chance of survival. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends regular screening every two years for women over 50. Women aged 40 to 49 should talk to their doctor about the benefits and risks of mammography screening. Women over 70 should discuss with their doctor how often they should have a mammogram. Patients can ask their doctor for a referral to the mammography unit of their choice.

The digital images captured at KDH are transmitted to the Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) in Ottawa via a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). Radiologists at QCH then read the mammograms and send a report to the ordering doctor in approximately one week. For a small number of patients (fewer than 5%), more pictures will be required. Further imaging, such as spot view or breast ultrasound, will be performed at QCH. If more pictures are required, QCH will call the patient directly to set up an appointment, avoiding possible delays created by first contacting the family doctor, then having the family doctor contact the patient. For most patients, further pictures will rule out breast cancer.

Diagnostic Imaging Team Leader, Shelley Bottan, elaborates on the relationship with QCH: “Our partnership with the Diagnostic Imaging Department at the Queensway Carleton Hospital has made this possible. I believe that we will be providing the best patient service for the mammography program with the initial exam at KDH and follow-up being initiated from the QCH facility. By sharing the radiologists, PACS, and IT professionals, we get the benefit of the big city expertise in our small town hospital.”

The Canadian Cancer Society states that breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). Breast cancer accounts for 28% of all new cancer cases in women, and 15% of all cancer deaths in women. One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime and one in 29 will die of it. Encouragingly, breast cancer death rates have been declining in every age group since the mid 1980s.

There is a myth that only women with a family history of breast cancer are at risk. The Medical Radiation Technologists who perform mammography imaging at KDH emphasize that approximately 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of the disease. (Source: breastcancer.org.)

The total cost of the new mammography suite at KDH was $750,000. The KDH Foundation has to date raised half of this amount; fundraising activities continue to raise the remaining funds.

BONE MINERAL DENSITY TESTING – PREVENTING FRACTURES SINCE 2007

Located within KDH’s new diagnostic imaging department is the hospital’s Bone Mineral Density (BMD) scanner. KDH has had the capacity to conduct this screening since 2007, and is accredited with the Canadian Association of Radiologists’ Bone Mineral Densitometry accreditation program.

A bone mineral density test measures how much calcium and other types of minerals are present in a section of a patient’s bone. Health care providers use this test, along with other risk factors, to predict the patient’s risk of bone fractures in the future and to detect osteoporosis, the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. Bone fracture risk is highest in people with osteoporosis; a broken bone may be a warning sign of osteoporosis, and in fact could be the first and only sign. For this reason osteoporosis is one of several diseases known as “silent killers”. Osteoporosis affects more than two million Canadians, both men and women, aged 50 and over. Osteoporosis increases with age but can affect younger people, and can be inherited. If a patient is diagnosed with osteoporosis, there is a variety of different medications that can be prescribed to prevent further thinning of the bone tissue.

The bone mineral densitometry machine at KDH produces a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, using low-dose x-rays (about 1/10th the radiation dose of a chest x-ray). It takes a 'central' DEXA scan, measuring bone density in the lower spine or hip, the best test to predict the patient’s risk of fractures. The test results are given as a T score, a measuring system used to compare a patient’s BMD to an established standard – the higher the T score, the more dense the bone.

BMD testing or screening is recommended for women over the age of 65 and men over 70. BMD is also indicated for women under 65 and men aged 50 to 70 who have some of the following risk factors: bone fracture caused by normal activities, such as a fall from standing height or less; chronic rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, or eating disorders; early menopause (either from natural causes or surgery); history of hormone treatment for prostate cancer or breast cancer; significant loss of height; smoking; family history of osteoporosis; use of corticosteroid medications (prednisone, methylprednisolone) every day for more than three months; and three or more drinks of alcohol per day. If a patient is already being treated for osteoporosis, BMD testing is used to monitor his or her response to treatment.

Shelley Bottan, KDH’s Diagnostic Imaging Team Leader, stresses the importance of being tested: “Detecting osteoporosis early is important and can help prevent fractures from occurring in the first place. Because bone loss can occur without you knowing, it is important to be tested early to determine your baseline and then if needed at regular intervals as your doctor recommends.”

For more information about osteoporosis, contact Osteoporosis Canada at http://www.osteoporosis.ca or call toll free, 1.800.463.6842.

For more information about breast cancer, visit the Canadian Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.ca or breastcancer.org.

To book a mammogram or a bone mineral density scan at Kemptville District Hospital, call 613.258.6133, extension 400.

 

 

 

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Current News > May 16^th, 2011: KDH goes live with PatientWay

Kemptville District Hospital goes live with PatientWay technology

Rapidly growing hospital in Ontario makes self-service registration and check-in technology available to its patients

OTTAWA and KEMPTVILLE, May 16, 2011 - Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) has launched a pilot project using the PatientWay Suite of self-service technologies, which will contribute to the hospital's registration efficiencies and improve patient satisfaction with an online pre-registration portal and touchscreen kiosks.

"We are thrilled to see the KDH pilot project go live. It's the type of progressive and innovative hospital that has shown that it can take rapid growth in stride." Says PatientWay CEO Jay Lawrence, "Working with a hospital the size of KDH helps us to better understand the value proposition for our products in smaller Canadian healthcare facilities."

A patient who has an appointment with an outpatient clinic, can visit the KDH website (http://kdh.on.ca) and pre-register from the comfort of their own home up to 48 hours before an appointment. The kiosk lets patients bypass the registration desk upon arrival and check-in by swiping their health card at the touch-screen.

Dr. Steven Oliver, from the KDH's orthopaedics clinic, sees the benefit of making self-service technology available to his patients. "My patients can now see me for their appointment without having to wait in line to speak with a registration clerk and complete paperwork. The new process is also good news for the staff, as it reduces line-ups in the waiting area and cuts back on the amount of data that has to be manually inputted into our information system. It's a win-win.".

KDH serves an area south of Ottawa that has seen dramatic population growth in recent years. The area is popular with both retirees and commuters from Ottawa and is one of the fastest growing communities in the region. Striving to meet a heavier demand for healthcare services, KHD has enlarged its facilities, including the ER and OR. The PatientWay Suite fits in perfectly with the hospital's expansion and modernization.

KDH CEO, Colin Goodfellow says "In keeping with our commitment to provide patient focused care to our community, we will be offering our patients choice through an innovative self service option. Most people are already used to online banking, booking their vacations online, and checking-in for their flight at a kiosk in the airport. Now those same conveniences will be available to our patients when they come to the hospital."

KDH joins several other health organizations using PatientWay technology, including Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Southlake Regional Health Centre and the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre in Newmarket, and Ontario's Central West CCAC.

About Kemptville District Hospital:

Kemptville District Hospital is a fully accredited healthcare facility committed to building healthy communities. We offer a range of services based on advanced expertise, technologies and patient care practices. Our emergency department is open around the clock and provides prompt medical attention. Our use of new medical applications such as Tele-health and remote diagnostic imaging has made us a service leader in Eastern Ontario. Further, our surgical program provides timely access to high demand specialists, while our staff's dedication to patients has earned us a reputation for excellence in caring. Kemptville District Hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in Ontario for patient satisfaction.

About PatientWay™:

PatientWay's parent company, Infonium Inc. was founded in 2000 to provide professional services to government and healthcare clients across Canada. The results of this deep experience working with the healthcare sector and developing software applications inspired the creation of PatientWay.

The workload of hospitals and other healthcare organizations is increasing from an aging population and increased utilization. Economic realities are forcing providers to do more with the same. Meanwhile, today's patients expect to receive the same level of convenience (shorter lineups and choice of self or full service) that they are used to receiving from other industries (banking, travel, shopping, etc). The PatientWay Suite addresses this problem by bringing measurable cost and time savings to hospitals while increasing staff and patient satisfaction by introducing self-service technologies. We streamline patient access through web, kiosk and mobile apps. By making the patient a more active participant in the delivery of their care, hospitals will quickly realize time and cost savings and increased staff and patient satisfaction.

For further information: Tyler Copeland, 613-722-0711 ext 21,tcopeland@patientway.com
Source: http://www.patientway.com/press/kemptville-district-hospital-live-patientway-technology

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ABOUT KEMPTVILLE DISTRICT HOSPITAL

Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) is a fully accredited healthcare facility committed to building healthy communities. KDH offers a range of services based on advanced expertise, technologies and patient care practices. The emergency department is open around the clock and provides prompt medical attention. The use of new medical applications such as Tele-health and remote diagnostic imaging has made KDH a service leader in Eastern Ontario. Further, the surgical program at KDH provides timely access to high demand specialists, while the staff's dedication to patients has earned KDH a reputation for excellence in caring. Kemptville District Hospital consistently ranks among the top hospitals in Ontario for patient satisfaction.