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Annual Report

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Halton Healthcare provides a wide range of hospital and community healthcare services in Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville.

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RESILIENCE

ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20

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When times are challenging, the real heroes show up. Our staff, physicians and volunteers dedicate themselves to caring for people at every stage of life, when they need us the most. Our teams have done an outstanding job supporting our communities and each other during these unprecedented times, amid a pandemic. We are humbled by these heroes among us. And we are proud.

 

Contents

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2019/2020

Officers

  • Richard Nunn, Chair
    Sharon Barkley, Vice Chair
    Wendy Millar, Treasurer
    Denise Hardenne, Secretary

Directors

  • Pankaj Arora
    Dr. Dalal Aziz
    Charlotte Burke
    Mayor Rob Burton
    Councillor Zeeshan Hamid
    Samantha Horn
    Councillor Jon Hurst
    Dr. Hanif Jamal
    Judy Linton
    Dr. David McConachie
    Ken McDermot
    Chris Montague
    John W. Nyholt
    Laurent Thibault
    Jennifer Tindale
    Dr. Michael Zettler 

Senior Leadership Team

  • Denise Hardenne, President & CEO
  • Dr. David McConachie, Chief of Staff
  • Bill Bailey, Senior Vice President, Redevelopment, Facilities & Retail Operations
  • Judy Linton, Senior Vice President, Patient Experience & Chief Nursing Executive
  • Hilary Rodrigues, Senior Vice President, Corporate Services, Performance & Chief Financial Officer
  • Dr. Daniel Edgcumbe, Vice President, Medical Affairs
  • Cindy McDonell, Chief Operating Officer & Program Director, Georgetown Hospital
  • Carole Moore, Chief Operating Officer, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital
  • Sharon Norris, Vice President, Human Resources Planning & Organizational Development
  • Sandy Saggar, Chief Information Officer
  • Janet Skupsky, Chief Operating Officer & Program Director, Milton District Hospital

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LEADERSHIP REPORT

Ours is a story of dedication, commitment and compassion. In 2019/20 we continued to focus on our three strategic priorities of Innovate, Collaborate and Empower and have celebrated amazing achievements and initiated significant projects over the past year.

Before the coronavirus arrived we saw an extended period of increased clinical volumes that impacted all our facilities. The increase in number of patients and severity of illness seen in our Emergency Departments translated to increased activity for all our services. Our care teams responded to provide exemplary patient care.

Our track record of success and credibility in our many partnerships, positions us well for the changes that are coming with health system transformation. Together, with our community partners we were one of the first in the province to receive approval to establish an Ontario Health Team (OHT) - a critical step forward to improving the patient experience and health outcomes in our growing communities.

In 2019 we embarked on the beginnings of a significant technical transformation at our hospitals, known as Interchange. Over the next year we will continue the important work for this multi-year clinical transformation project. This will touch almost every staff member, physician and department and will require all our participation to prepare for changes to our processes, ensuring a safe and seamless transition to the new platform. This is an important step forward in achieving our vision.

We continue to move forward with the planning required for the redevelopment of Georgetown Hospital and explore the opportunities available to us to make sure that we grow our services and access to care in the community of Halton Hills.

We saw a year of evolution in our senior leadership team with the recruitment of three new members; Dr. David McConachie, Chief of Staff; Judy Linton, SVP Patient Experience and Chief Nursing Executive and Dr. Dan Edgcumbe, Vice President Medical Affairs. Together, our clinical executive triad has brought immense clinical expertise.

We recognize that the impact of COVID-19 has been felt around the world. It has challenged our healthcare system and has put a spotlight on the vulnerable populations in our own communities. We acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of our teams in supporting our communities and their compassionate response during these unprecedented times.

It’s amazing to see how much we’ve grown over the past few years. Today, we are a hospital corporation in a strong financial position with a budget of more than half a billion dollars. We are supported by more than 6,500 staff, volunteers, medical and professional staff and continue to attract new talent to our organization.

We look forward to the next stage of the journey with you as we continue to deliver on our vision of exemplary patient experiences, always.

 

Denise Hardenne
President & CEO

Richard Nunn
Chair, Board of Directors

Dr. David McConachie
Chief of Staff

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CONNECTED CARE
HALTON ONTARIO
HEALTH TEAM

The Connected Care Halton Ontario Health Team (CCHOHT) is guided by a Collaborative Committee with equal leadership representation from:

  • Acclaim Health
  • Halton Healthcare
  • Halton Region
  • Primary care representation
  • Mississauga Halton LHIN

The Team was one of the first 24 teams in the province to implement a new model of organizing and delivering health care – leadership that we are extremely proud of. Taking a population health approach, together these organizations are making strides to improve patient outcomes in our communities by better connecting patients and providers.

Our first year focus is on three key areas:

  1. Palliative care
  2. Mental health & addictions
  3. Home and community care

Although COVID-19 paused some of our efforts this year, CCHOHT has still managed to take significant steps forward toward building our partnership and creating an integrated system. We look forward to ramping up the momentum again as soon as it is safe to do so.
 

In 2019, Halton Healthcare proudly welcomed twelve students to spend their final year of high school learning and working at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital as part of the Project SEARCH High School Transition Program. This one-year program helps youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities successfully transition from school to work life. It achieves this by combining classroom instruction, career exploration, and relevant job-skills training, all on-site.

“We set very high expectations for the students and they rise to those,” said Lisa Prentice, lead teacher, Halton District School Board. “They are working in real jobs that have purpose and they become part of the team which helps to set them up well for the future.”

Departments from across the hospital participated in the program providing students with valuable work experience.

The students have gained such independence throughout this experience that will carry over to help them live full thriving lives. The success of this past year would not have been possible without the contributions of our committed community partners.

- Jim Feyerer, Director of Human Resources
Halton Healthcare

EMPOWERING OUR WORKFORCE

Halton Healthcare is committed to fostering an environment of continuous improvement by embracing a spirit of discovery and innovation. Our Innovation Fund encourages our staff, physicians and volunteers to be creative and seek new (and more efficient) ways of improving patient care and the workplace as a whole. They can submit proposals from $2,500 up to $25,000.

Since its launch in 2017, the Innovation Fund has awarded more than 50 grants. The Fund has generated some incredibly creative, cost-effective and patient centred innovations.
 

TEAM CHARTERS

The goal of Team Charters is a simple and important one: elevating the patient experience. Through a series of facilitated discussions, our teams identify concrete and actionable behaviours that they commit to applying to their daily practice individually and collectively that we know make a difference to patients and families. These behaviours are shared in a set of statements and form a set of standards that each team has set for themselves. Once the statements are developed, they are displayed on the walls of clinical units and non-clinical departments in all of our hospitals and community locations. The teams illustrate their charter to express the unique characteristics of their team.

From our finance department to front line clinical programs, all departments and programs are doing a team charter to support patient experience!

CLINICAL TRANSFORMATION

Halton Healthcare believes that technology is a cornerstone in the delivery of safe, effective, and exemplary patient care. In 2019, we embarked on a multi-year clinical transformation project to enhance high-quality and safe patient care, empower interprofessional collaboration, and transform the way staff and physicians use information and technology.

The project, called Interchange, includes:

  • Migration to a modern web and mobile-based electronic medical record solution
  • Introduction of new hand held devices with secure text messaging features
  • Electronic provider order entry
  • Online medical record documentation

Championed by our Chief Nursing Executive and Vice- President Medical Affairs, Interchange has engaged more than 100 frontline staff and physicians in selecting and designing technologies that will best support them in delivering the very best patient care. This initiative exemplifies our strategic priorities of innovate, collaborate and empower and will help to achieve our corporate vision of exemplary patient experiences, always.

VIRTUAL CARE

COVID-19 changed almost every aspect of life this year.  From buying groceries to getting a haircut, everything is different – including how we provide care at our hospitals and connect with our patients.

Hospitals had to pause many of their non-urgent programs and services and restrict access into their buildings. Creative solutions were sought to provide patients with access to care without coming to the hospital. Through an ongoing collaboration with the Ontario Telemedicine Network and the Ministry of Health’s Digital Health Group, Halton Healthcare leveraged the experiences gained from a Virtual Care Pilot Project held the year prior.

Virtual Care allows patients to speak with their healthcare provider using a telephone, smartphone or computer from the comfort of their own home. There’s no doubt that the use of Virtual Care will continue to expand. Based on the success and benefits of this initiative, we look forward to the ongoing development of Virtual Care standards as we continue to transform the community hospital experience. 

CANCER CARE CLINIC
TREATING MORE PATIENTS CLOSER TO HOME

We are committed to growing our Cancer Care Clinic at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH), which is part of the Mississauga Halton Central West (MHCW) Regional Cancer Program, to provide patients with the care they need closer to home.

In 2019, two additional medical oncologists were hired to expand upon our systemic therapy cancer care service, while giving us the ability to care for patients with a variety of malignancies closer to home.

As a result, over the last year, we have seen a significant increase in the number of patients that we see tripling our total visits between July 2019 and April 2020. While a strong malignant hematology service has existed for a number of years at OTMH, we now have an equally strong program for those with solid tumours.

Our wait times to see new patients have been shorter than the provincial targets set by Cancer Care Ontario. The growth of our Cancer Care Clinic brings crucial cancer treatments and quality care closer to home for our patients.

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STATISTICS
HALTON HEALTHCARE BY THE NUMBERS

159,032
Emergency Department Visits

46,681
Surgeries

835
Medical & Professional Staff
(Physicians, Dentists & Midwives)

4,460
Staff

1,657
Volunteers



 

284,858
Diagnostic Imaging Exams

726,369
Patient Meals Served

4,097
Babies Born

92,512
Mental Health & Addictions Visits

2,690,213
Laboratory Tests

33,267
Fracture Clinic Visits

10,745
Oncology Visits

37,043 
Dialysis Visits

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MUSCULOSKELETAL RAPID ACCESS CLINIC

Our Rapid Access Clinic provides timely assessments and personalized treatment plans for moderate to severe hip and knee arthritis patients. An Advanced Practice Provider with specialized training in orthopedic care does the assessment and makes treatment recommendations that may include a surgical consult.

“I just have to tell you about my amazing experience. I had been getting progressively worse with hip arthritis to the point that I could really not function that well anymore. The arthritis progressed over a period of 3-4 years likely due to my being self-employed doing property maintenance. I could no longer do my job and even walking and standing for more than ten minutes caused great pain, forcing me to sit down.

My girlfriend saw the press release about the Rapid Access Clinic in our local Georgetown newspaper. I got a referral from my family doctor and got into the clinic quite quickly. My assessment concluded that hip replacement was really my best course of treatment.

From assessment, to surgical consult, to surgery all happened within weeks thanks to the awesome surgeon Dr. Zochowski who had recently been added to your team. I had surgery April, 2019 to replace my left hip and had my right hip replaced this past January, 2020.

I can’t fully express enough just how much these surgeries have given me my life back. Arthritis slowly censors your life and controls what you can and can no longer do anymore.

Now to my amazing surgeon Dr. Zochowski who did both hips in eight months, I can’t thank him enough for giving me my life back and getting me mobile and pain free again. To live in this wonderful country with universal healthcare and a medical system that treats its people quickly, efficiently and respectfully is a wonderful thing to never take for granted.

So a big thank you to Dr. Zochowski and all the people who dedicate their lives to helping others please know that it’s very reassuring to know that you are there for us!”

-Ray Eckert (Surgery Patient) Georgetown

“The Rapid Assessment Clinic does an excellent job of assessing patients before we see them on the surgical side. Their Advanced Practice Clinicians, usually physiotherapists, have excellent knowledge of osteoarthritis of the hip and the knee,” explained Dr. Zochowski. “Their coordination of this whole process is invaluable – it speeds things up and streamlines the process so patient can get the care they need, when they need it.”

  Click here for video

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OUR RESPONSE TO COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged every aspect of life and work in 2020.

Since January 29, 2020, when we first established our COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre, our organization has worked tirelessly to protect our patients, staff, physicians, and volunteers.

Our three hospitals, operating as one system, developed and implemented a Pandemic Response Plan that focused on keeping patients and healthcare workers safe, creating capacity and optimizing assessment and testing for COVID-19. The postponement of all clinical work, that could safely be deferred, allowed for the redeployment of staff to new and critical roles within our hospitals. This included assisting with active screening, visitor restrictions and the education required for appropriate use and stewardship of the most valuable resources – our Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Without hesitation we leapt into action and brought essential programs to life to protect and support. 

ACTIVE SCREENING PROGRAM

Reducing the number of entrances to our hospitals allowed us to establish dedicated screening areas. From our Emergency Departments to our loading docks, all individuals entering our facilities were asked a series of screening questions. Redeployed staff from all areas of the hospital have provided 24/7 coverage for this essential role. 

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PPE SUPERUSERS

The safety of our staff and physicians was paramount to the successful implementation of our Pandemic Response Plan. Supporting staff with quick access to individuals who provide guidance and education when it came to PPE was essential. Our PPE SuperUsers are redeployed nurses, available 24 hours a day across all three hospitals, to educate our frontline workers on PPE for the level of care they’re responsible for providing. PPE SuperUsers also play a key role in the management of our organizations PPE supply.

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COVIDCARE PROGRAM

The pandemic created a myriad of challenges for our staff and physicians. Overnight, our lives were impacted personally and professionally. It was uncharted territory for us all and led to the creation of the CovidCARE program at Halton Healthcare. This peer-led team provides supportive sessions with staff and physicians at all three hospitals to foster positivity, promote togetherness, and connect in the struggle. Its purpose is to remind our brave front-line workers that they are not alone. We’re in this together.

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VIRTUAL VISITING

The COVID-19 pandemic and the requirement for restricted hospital visiting made it challenging for patients to stay in touch with their family and friends. Connecting patients with their friends and families over the internet while restrictions were in place, was the goal of the Virtual Visiting Program. With the assistance of a newly formed team of staff, patients who are not able to use their own devices to communicate through audio or video chats can receive assistance with hospital devices to connect virtually. The program brought immediate relief to patients and families who benefitted from hearing their loved one’s voice and being able to see their family online.  The success of the program has provided us with the opportunity to consider this as a permanent program. 

SUPPORTING THE PROVINCIAL STRATEGY

The pandemic created the absolute need for the entire health system to work together as one. Creating capacity for increased testing for all Ontario residents became a priority as did the need to create extra physical capacity within our hospitals should a local, regional or provincial surge of COVID-19 patients occur.

PRIORITY TESTING AND ASSESSMENT CENTRES

As COVID-19 spread and grew, so did the need for efficient and effective testing centres in our communities. We are thankful to our teams who mobilized quickly to turn existing spaces in each of our hospitals into safe and comfortable Priority Testing & Assessment Centres. These centres, designed to take capacity off ED and support primary care, are staffed by Halton Healthcare nursing staff and our physicians. Originally established to provide testing for individuals who met specific criteria, the centres have followed provincial direction and are now providing testing to anyone who feels they need to be tested for COVID-19.

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CREATING CAPACITY

Careful planning and emergency preparedness has been key to fighting COVID-19 across the world. The Halton Healthcare Pandemic Response Plan had six distinct phases that allowed for an escalation of response to create capacity to respond to increasing volumes of patients. We were able to build two internal field hospitals using existing shelled-in space for the potential of a surge in COVID-19 patient volumes. Making use of existing space inside the hospitals provides ideal access to the hospital’s existing infrastructure and adjacencies to support services such as clinical staff, diagnostics, pharmacy, lab and food services. The field hospitals in Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and Milton District Hospital created additional capacity and we were ready to protect and care for our communities!

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SUPPORTING THE VULNERABLE

The pandemic also placed a glaring spotlight on vulnerable populations—not just in our community, but across the entire country. As part of a provincial strategy, Ontario hospitals have been assisting long-term care homes across the province. For our part, Halton Healthcare has been helping a number of long-term care homes and other congregate settings within Ontario Health’s Central Region (including municipalities outside of Halton Region).

Our staff and physicians provided support in a number of long-term care, retirement residences and a group home in these ways:

  • Assisting with COVID-19 mobile testing
  • Establishing a COVID-19 Rapid Support Team for onsite assessments
  • Creating comprehensive support plans that included on-site Physician assessments, Infection Prevention and Control education and coaching, Nursing staff support and access to Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Assistants
  • Providing on site leadership and support
  • Admitting residents from these facilities to our hospitals to provide appropriate care to meet their medical needs

We embraced all this work with immense pride.

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CONQUERING COVID-19

Farhat was one of our COVID-19 patients whose stay included a month in our ICU. While in hospital, this mom missed many celebrations and milestones with her family including Mother’s day, anniversaries and Ramadan. Farhat’s daughter, Sadaf, wrote a note of thanks about her care and discharge from hospital:

On behalf of our family we just wanted to say a HUGE thank you. When mom was admitted for COVID in March we had no idea that she would be staying for 88 days! The sudden intubation and ventilator treatment shocked us and the following month was so emotionally draining for our entire family as we had no physical access to see our mom. But the ICU team were so gracious with their time and the doctors gave us daily updates on the phone despite being overwhelmed with those early days of COVID admissions and dealing with an unfamiliar disease. Their quick action to intubate mom quite possibly saved her life! The nurses were so patient in setting up the ipad and allowing us to “see” mom so that we didn’t feel so helpless.

The daily care she received to help gain her strength and relearn to walk was truly outstanding. From all the occupational therapists, nurses, physiotherapists to the doctors, respiratory therapists and dieticians. We just want to say a big THANK YOU. It takes all of these people to do their job to the highest standard each and every day that helps thousands of Canadians go home and finally be with their family.

And speaking of coming home, the day she was released was nothing short of a dream. The way in which you (Isabella) and the entire PR team organized her farewell was simply amazing. Mom was so overcome with emotion as all the staff and doctors lined the halls and clapped as she was wheeled through the hallways. Then the balloons acknowledging all the occasions she missed while she was in sick was so thoughtful and compassionate. Capturing all of this on video and pictures gave us a keepsake that we will cherish forever.

Once COVID restrictions are lifted it would be lovely for us all to come back with Mom to the hospital and meet with everyone and personally speak to them about how their actions have impacted us.

Until then we simply want to say thanks to all the Halton Healthcare Heroes.

-Sadaf

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Financials

Statement of Operations (expressed in thousands)

Year ended March 3120202019
REVENUES
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care               $414,923$386,277
Interest income2,8922,116
Other operational income74,11764,474
Deferred grant amortization19,57122,084
 511,503474,951
EXPENSES  
Salaries, wages and benefits                      347,250321,223
Supplies and other expenses83,52476,980
Medical and surgical supplies25,49123,461
Drugs16,58613,305
Equipment amortization24,54628,201
 497,397463,170
 
Excess of revenues over expenses
before building interest and amortization		14,10611,781
Building interest and amortization, net(1,362)(1,391)
Excess of revenues over expenses12,744$10,390

Our 2019/20 fiscal year ended with an unplanned $12.7M surplus.

The main contributing factors were:

  • Hydro energy rebate of $6.2M
  • Post-Construction Operating Plan recovery from 2017/18 of $7.5M Achieving the planned budget surplus of $3M
  • One-time LHIN funding
  • COVID-19 expenses incurred in March 2020

Audited financial statements for the year-ended March 31, 2020 are available at haltonhealthcare.com

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HOSPITAL FOUNDATIONS

Our healthcare professionals must have the right equipment and technology to help patients in need of life-changing care.

Our three community hospitals are supported by Foundations that support our work in providing exemplary patient experiences, always.

Georgetown Hospital Foundation continues to fulfill its mission of inspiring giving to raise funds for essential equipment for Georgetown Hospital. Last year, they exceeded fundraising targets and were able to fund items for several departments, including surgical equipment, new beds and items for patient safety. The Foundation is successfully delivering on their vision of partnering with our community to enhance patient care. 

This past year, Milton District Hospital Foundation’s community of donors enthusiastically supported the healthcare needs of their hospital by supporting the purchase of much needed equipment. The Foundation’s mission of Transforming Giving, Transforming Care inspired supporters to surpass this year’s fundraising target - raising more funds to support care close to home. 

Oakville Hospital Foundation's mission to connect generosity to world-class community healthcare at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital is reflected in the 7,720 donors who made generous contributions to the hospital in 2019-2020. The Foundation’s vision of sparking the passion to give to transform the healthcare experience was brought to life with a record number of new donors joining the OHF family. 

VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS

Our volunteers gift us with their kindness and generosity across all three hospitals and community locations in so many ways:

  • Visitor assistance
  • Patient support
  • Patient Transport
  • Lobby music
  • Gift shop management
  • Fundraising ventures
  • Wayfinding

They are an extraordinary group of people whose contributions make a difference and truly reflect our values of Compassion, Accountability and Respect. The kindness and generosity of this extraordinary group of people is shared with patients, their family and friends, and our staff and physicians.

In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Halton Healthcare suspended all regular volunteer activities to protect our volunteers and our patients. We miss their presence immensely and are overwhelmed by the support they still provide remotely. In their temporary absence, their unique gifts - sewing, letter-writing, picture sending, card mailing - have kept us connected and continue to enhance the quality of patient care.

WE
STOOD
TOGETHER
Thank you for standing with us
so that we could stand by you

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Volunteer Story
Feature: A Meal for Two!

Be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, a meal always tastes better if it is served up with some companionship, care and conversation.

Volunteers at Halton Healthcare have partnered with Patient Care Manager Jacqueline Goodban and nursing staff to create the ‘Peachy Patient Meal Support Program’ on the Complex Transitional Care and 2 North Regional Units at Milton District Hospital (MDH).

“Nourishment is an essential part of care with the senior population to prevent functional decline,” explained Claudia Aguilar, Registered Practical Nurse on the 2 North Regional Unit, MDH. 

“Some of our patients have limited visitors and little interest in eating. We wanted to make mealtimes a social experience to entice patients to eat by combining mealtime assistance with a volunteer visit and it has truly made such a difference.”

“The most beautiful moment is when they see us, they are so excited to tell us about their day”

The impact of such a simple, yet heartfelt program has been huge. The patients who qualify for the program are identified and when volunteers visit on the units at mealtimes they are assigned to a patient. In addition to providing companionship, volunteers may assist patients by opening packets, fetching straws or cutting up food into bite sized pieces.

Ariana Gargano is a volunteer at Milton District Hospital and sees firsthand the impact of her visits, “I introduce myself to the patients and visit with them and after awhile they usually laugh and open up with me and then I will ask them if they are ready to eat. I help them by opening their containers and encouraging them to taste their dishes.”

“The most beautiful moment is when they see us, they are so excited to tell us about their day. As we talk, I try to prompt them to take another bite of their dinner or a sip of their juice,” continued Ariana. “I remind them that eating and drinking is important to their health and for their recovery.”

“We’ve seen a big change around mealtimes with a lot of positive outcomes,” concluded Claudia. “Our patients are happier and are socializing a lot better. They are enjoying the companionship, look forward to mealtimes and are eating more. This unique program engages our patients and enhances the patient’s experience. Special thanks to our wonderful volunteers!”

Watch video on our Volunteer Story - A Meal for Two

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