Will other hospitals do the same?

Photo by    www.kaboompics.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/plush-toy-in-top-of-blankets-4886897/

If you are in an emergency room on Vancouver Island and see carts being wheeled around filled with items such as blankets, neck pillows, and stuffed animals, you are probably in one of urgent care facilities that are implementing “Comfort Carts.” The single-use items on the cart are given to seniors as way to help individuals feel more comfortable as they wait to receive healthcare. “‘And gosh, does it ever feel good when you see the smile on a senior’s face, or the comfort, that look of relief when you ­provide those kinds of items to a senior in distress.'”

Click here to read more about this initiative.

A Shopping Spree to Remember

68 Calgary families participated in a special shopping spree at Toys R Us thanks to a joint initiative by the Starlight Foundation and Toys R Us. Check out this CTV news article to read more about this event.

Deadline is Approaching


Just a reminder that the deadline to submit your abstract for this year’s Quality Summit is on April 18th, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. MT. The theme of this year’s summit is “1 + 1 = 3,” with the goal being to create synergy to transform Alberta’s health system.

Abstracts will be accepted in the following two themes:

Stream 1: Transformation through Innovation

“This is for you rebels out there! Are you trying something completely new or different in your area; going boldly where no person has gone before? This stream is for you – we want to hear your radical ideas and emerging ways of how to improve care. You might only have limited results that your idea is on the right track, but we want to hear how you are breaking new ground, how you made it happen and what you believe is possible for the future! The summit is an opportunity to seek input, inspire collaboration, and motivate action at an early stage in your project.

The definition of innovation that we are hoping to showcase is: New ideas that oppose and contradict our accepted ways of delivering health care services.”

Stream 2: Successful Quality Improvement Projects

“If you have implemented a successful quality improvement project and want to show it off, this is the category for you! We want to hear about your evidence-based improvement projects for delivering healthcare services and advancing a culture of patient and family centered care. Your journey doesn’t necessarily need to be complete – just show us what you’ve done so far and what could be possible in the future.”

Click here to find out more.

***Remember, the deadline for submissions is April 18th, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. MT***

Reminder: Upcoming Events

Friday, November 17 – Change Day
Have you made your Change Day pledge yet? If not, click here to make your pledge?

Thursday, November 30 – Patient Engagement Speaker Series
Helle Tees & Nicole Olivier will be presenting on patient engagement. If you are unable to attend this event in person, you can join the webinar. Click here for more information and to register.

What is QI?

The use of acronyms and abbreviations is common in many areas, including healthcare. One acronym often found in written material and heard in conversations is QI. However, what does QI mean? Health Quality Ontario created the following video that highlights the key points of the QI – Quality Improvement – as it relates to healthcare. More specifically, what does QI mean in healthcare and why should we care about it? If you have not seen the video, you may wish to do so.

Our Presentation

Jess and DebAs mentioned in the previous post, Pts4Chg was presenting today at the International Institute for Patient and Family Centred Care (IPFCC) conference in New York City. The presentation entitled, “Bridging the Disconnected: Empowering Advisors for Change Through Social Media,” was well attended and well received, both at the conference and in the Twittersphere. According to participants and presenters, the level of enthusiasm, energy and engagement was high.

Below are just a few of the tweets sent out during the session.

Thank you to everyone who attended the session in person or virtually. Special thanks go to Kirsten, Holly, Shannon and Jamie. Your efforts made live tweeting the event possible. Thanks so much.