Vaughan/Richmond Hill, ON (August 18, 2023) — Mackenzie Health recently became the only organization outside of the United States to be named a recipient of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence twice. The organization previously won this prestigious award in 2019.
The award recognizes Mackenzie Health for its innovative application of health information and technology to improve the way care is delivered, create more positive patient outcomes and support the overall health of the broader population.
HIMSS evaluated Mackenzie Health on three clinical case studies that resulted in improved patient care:
Preventing hospitalization through a COVID-19 remote monitoring program
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across Ontario were seeing an influx of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms, many with pneumonia. In response to the pandemic, Mackenzie Health introduced an innovative COVID-19 home monitoring program. The program allowed patients with manageable symptoms to be remotely monitored by physicians, providing vital health care support to patients in the safety of their homes. Patients reported symptoms, oxygen saturation levels, heart rate and temperature while physicians monitored the results and provided care through virtual visits. This initiative reduced capacity pressures on Mackenzie Health, allowing resources to be efficiently redirected to treat the most severely ill patients. By getting patients the care they needed early, including supplemental oxygen, the program significantly reduced hospital admissions, providing patients with a better chance of recovery. Between September 2020 and June 2021, more than 6,000 patients were enrolled in the remote monitoring program, preventing more than 1,000 hospital admissions.
Optimizing medication reconciliation so patients go home sooner
Ensuring patients get the right medication in the right dosage and at the right time is crucial to their care and recovery. Recognizing the critical role of accurate medication administration in patient care and recovery, Mackenzie Health implemented a comprehensive medication reconciliation process. The process is completed as close to the time of admission as possible to ensure that the right medications are ordered at the start of a patient’s journey, resulting in improved patient outcomes. Supported by its integrated electronic medical record system, this efficient process detects discrepancies, duplications and interactions with other prescribed medications, minimizing errors during care transitions. Care transitions can happen either at discharge or when transitioning to another unit within the hospital. Since 2019, medication reconciliation rates have improved to more than 85 per cent and patient stays have been reduced by almost two days.
Supporting the health care system through the COVID-19 pandemic
In February 2021, Mackenzie Health changed the way it opened its second hospital to exclusively care for COVID-19 patients during the worst wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately saving the Ontario health care system from collapse. Between February and June 2021, Mackenzie Health cared for more than 500 COVID-19 patients from across the province – more than any other hospital during that period. Mackenzie Health took advantage of the advanced tools and analytic capabilities of its electronic medical record platform to provide an innovative and coordinated pandemic response. As an example, Mackenzie Health was the first in the province to create a seamless interface for COVID-19 tests conducted by an external lab, reducing the turnaround time for results from 96 hours to 24 hours and allowing physicians to make quicker and more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans for patients. Mackenzie Health also saw other improvements because of its approach to managing the pandemic. The length of stay for COVID-19 patients at Mackenzie Health was 37 per cent less[1] than for other hospitals and the hospital was also able to reduce the mortality rate for COVID-19 patients by almost 15 per cent[2] when compared to other hospitals in the province.
“We’re proud to receive the Davies Award of Excellence from HIMSS for a second time and for shining a light on how we are changing the landscape of health care innovation across the sector,” said Purvi Desai, Vice President, Digital Health and Chief Information Officer. “The innovations we’ve made in the delivery of health care at Mackenzie Health through remoting monitoring programs, improved medication administration processes and our management of the pandemic are leading to improved outcomes for our patients.”
For more information on the HIMSS Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence and to read Mackenzie Health's case studies, visit the HIMSS website.
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About Mackenzie Health
Mackenzie Health is a dynamic regional health care provider. Mackenzie Health includes Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, each with a full-service emergency department, core services such as surgery, medicine, critical care and medical imaging along with specialized programs. Its community-based locations and services continue to provide additional support to western York Region. In December 2022, the organization maintained its Accreditation with Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada for its commitment to safety and quality patient care. This is the highest rating a Canadian health care provider can receive. Guided by a vision to create a world-class health experience, Mackenzie Health has an unrelenting focus on the patient and is dedicated to patient needs now and in the future. Mackenzie Health is proud to serve western York Region, one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in Canada with more than 550,000 residents. For more information, please visit www.mackenziehealth.ca.
Media contact:
Christina Cindric
Senior Communications Consultant and Public Affairs Lead, Mackenzie Health
christina.cindric@mackenziehealth.ca
905-883-1212, ext. 7490 or 437-922-1509
[1] Comparative data sourced from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) data repository
[2] Comparative data sourced from the IntelliHealth Ontario data repository