Quality Indicators

Quality patient care is the top priority for every member of the NHH team and, as such, we are committed to transparency and continuous improvement. For information on Northumberland Hills Hospital’s Quality and Safety Framework, click here.

Detailed information on a broad range of indicators is reported to the public on a quarterly basis through the NHH Board of Directors. Four areas are monitored: patient quality care and service; organizational effectiveness; organizational systems and safety; and financial effectiveness.

In addition, NHH has joined with other hospitals across Ontario to further enhance public reporting through the introduction of selected quality indicators here on our public web site. Of particular interest is our performance against the spread of certain antibiotic-resistant infections which have emerged in recent years. For background on what NHH is doing to minimize the spread of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) and other infections present in the community, click here.

Introduced in the fall of 2008, public reporting of consistent indicators, using a common methodology, allows hospitals to work with a standardized reporting approach across the province, establish a common baseline and—most important—provide the opportunity to monitor performance over time. Public reporting is not intended to serve as a measure for comparing hospitals. Each hospital has its own unique environment, services and patient population.

For more information, please click on the links below. Further quality indicators will be added as the province-wide program moves forward.

• Clostridium Difficile (C. diff) rates
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) rates
• Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) rates
• Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) rates
• Central Line Infections (CLI) rates
• Hand Hygiene Compliance among health care workers
• Surgical Safety Checklist compliance (coming soon)
  

Other Quality and Safety Reports

NHH’s performance with regard to quality and safety is also tracked in the following provincial websites and reports:

• Wait times for general surgery, cataract surgery, Emergency Department and selected diagnostic examinations (CT, MRI)
• Further information about nosocomial infections in hospitals across Ontario
• Report on Hospital Standardized Mortality Rates [Note: NHH is not considered an "eligible" acute care hospital for the purpose of "Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio" reporting.]
• Report on Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Prevention [Note: The reporting of this indicator applies only to hospitals which deliver primary hip or knee joint replacement surgery, including total, partial or hemi arthroplasty. These surgeries are not currently performed at NHH.]
• Reports on Hospital Performance in Acute Care, Emergency Care and Complex Continuing Care
• NHH Hospital Service Accountability Agreement 2008-2010
• NHH Amending Agreement 2010
  
• NHH Accreditation Report 2010

For more information, contact Jennifer Gillard at 905-377-7757 or jgillard@nhh.ca