May 24, 2007

TORONTO –The McGuinty government has named the six winners of the Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo 2007 Awards, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.

“We are proud to honour these six winning organizations for their innovation, dedication to strengthening our public health care system and improving access to high quality care for all Ontarians,” said Smitherman. “Their outstanding creativity will have a lasting impact on our health care system.”

The Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo 2007 Minister’s Innovations Awards honour six category winners:

Innovations in Health Human Resources
Huron Family Health Team - South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)

• HealthKick Huron educates youth about career opportunities in health care

Innovations in Health Information Management
Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University and Fig P. Software Incorporated
- Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)

• Provider-Patient Reminders in Ontario Multi-strategy Prevention Tools (P-PROMPT) boosts screening rates in Ontario for mammograms, pap testing, influenza vaccination and childhood primary vaccinations

Improving Efficiency Through Process Redesign
Holland Orthopaedic and Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre - Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)

• New Assessment Model for Hip and Knee Replacement reduces wait times and improves care for people undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery by creating a centralized assessment centre 

Improving Quality and Patient Safety
Group Health Centre, Sault Ste. Marie - North East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)

• Health Promotion Initiatives (HPI) improve the quality of health care and helped sustain a 43 per cent reduction in hospital readmissions

Innovations in Health Promotion
Whitby Mental Health Centre - Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)

• Stomp out Stigma program encourages teenagers to create anti-stigma mental health issue teams within their own schools

Meeting Community Needs Through Integrated Health Care
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre - North West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)

• Multi Site Cardiac Rehabilitation Program helps provide better care and rehabilitation for people who have cardiac illness

The winners were selected by an independent panel of health experts. Their programs met the following criteria:

• Innovative for the entire health care sector;
• Easily replicated across the health care system;
• Made smart, efficient use of resources;
• Integrated team work across the health care system;
• Dealt with important priorities and challenges in the health care system.

“We congratulate the six winners, and all those who made a submission, for their hard work to make health care better for all Ontarians.” said Hugh MacLeod, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health System Accountability and Performance Division, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Health Care Expo 2007 showcases innovative solutions and projects supporting the health care system in Ontario. More than 200 exhibitors and 14 high-level workshops promote important health care issues such as: health promotion, improving patient quality and safety and innovations in health human resources.

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in health care. Other initiatives include:

• Funding about 1,270,000 additional procedures to help improve access and reduce waiting times for Ontario families;
• Creating 150 Family Health Teams composed of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and various other health care professionals to provide comprehensive care to more than 1.6 million patients to date;
• Funding 22 new Community Health Centres (CHC) and 17 new satellite CHCs across the province.

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

For further information :

Members of the general public :
416-327-4327, or 1-866-532-3161

BACKGROUNDERS

Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo 2007 Award Winners

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