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Halton Healthcare HALTON HEALTHCARE SERVICES COMMUNITY REPORT V olum e 3 Issue 1 Spring, 2006 Expanding the Walls of the Intensive Care Unit Mr. Smith' s bedside nurse on the medical unit at the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) notices that her 70-year old patient is having difficulty breathing, his heart rate is soaring and he is incoherent. Concerned about these sudden unusual changes in Mr. Smith' s condition, the nurse pages the patient' s physician and the Critical Care Outreach Team fo r help. "New, acute changes in the patient's vitals, as well as any other serious m edical concerns are criteria for calling the team ," explains Eileen McDonaldKarcz, HHS Cardiac Professional Practice Clinician and Team Leader o f the Critical Care O utreach Team (CCOT) at OTMH. "The earlier w e recognize these indicators an d intervene, the better o u r chances in preventing cardiac arrest and saving the patient's life." H alton H ealthcare Services w as one of 26 hospitals across the province to receive funding for the establishm ent of a Critical Care O utreach Team at OTMH. The announcem ent of $1.04 million for the CCOT w as part of the province's com prehensive plan to im prove access to critical care. As one of tw o Ontario com m unity hospitals involved in the Ministry's CCOT pilot project since August 2005, this funding m eans that HHS can continue with this successful program. An Invaluable Initiative: L to R: Dionne Reelis, OTMH Clinical Resource Nurse confers w ith Dr. Laurence Chau, Intensive Care Unit Medical Director and Eileen McDonald-Karcz, Team Leader of the Critical Care Outreach Team at OTMH. W hen the Team is paged, a Critical Care Nurse responds immediately. She or he assesses the patient's condition and, w orking in tandem w ith the ICU Intensivist on-call, provides the necessary follow-up or medical intervention to stabilize the patient. "Each CCOT experience provides an opportunity for the team to share their know ledge w ith the w ard nurses. This in turn prepares them for the next critical situation," explains Mrs. McDonald-Karcz. "The CCOT plays a vital role in coaching and m entoring," adds D ionne Reelis, Clinical Resource Nurse on OTMH's 2 Centre Surgical Unit. "W orking closely with this team has h o n e d the critical care skills on our unit. Now w e are even m ore vigilant of all the possible clinical changes and their significance. This is an am azing resource w hich expands the walls of the ICU to the rest of the hospital." D uring their daily rounds the team also follows-up on the condition of patients w ho have been recently discharged from the ICU to various care units throughout the hospital. "This proactive m easure confirms that these patients are continuing to im prove clinically and prevents the n ee d to readm it them to the ICU," concludes Mrs. McDonald-Karcz. "At HHS the CCOT has heightened patient safety, increased access to critical care, and im proved the use of critical care resources throughout our hospital," explains Dr. Laurence Chau. "We w ere fortunate to be part of the pilot and are thrilled to be able to continue w ith this invaluable initiative. It has and will continue to save lives." U nder the guidance o f Dr. Laurence Chau, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Medical Director at OTMH and Eileen M cbonald-Karcz, the Critical Care O utreach Team is available 24/7 to any unit within OTMH. Com prised o f specially trained ICU doctors, nurses (and respiratory therapists, as necessary), this resource team takes the skills, expertise, and equipm ent of the ICU to the m edical units of the hospital to stabilize a patient w hose condition is deteriorating. Their quick m edical intervention can often fast-track the patient to ICU for im m ediate critical care or prevent an ICU admission. "Patients w h o are adm itted to the hospital today are increasingly sicker and require m ore com plex care. D uring o u r pilot phase w e found that having this critical care resource available to supp o rt an d w ork in partnership w ith the nurses and physicians on our care units has b e e n a w in-w in for all concerned," explains Dr. Chau. "The patient gets the specialized care they need w ithout having to be in the ICU, our nurses develop their critical care skills, and another ICU b e d is . available for the next patient w ho absolutely needs it. Based on the prelim inary findings o f the provincial pilot project, the Ministry has rolled out this program province-w ide. This is very encouraging." "We have provided educational inservice sessions on each patient care unit at OTMH to heighten aw areness o f the early w arning signs of clinical deterioration, as w ell as provide inform ation o n h o w and w h en to call the CCOT," continued Mrs. McDonald-Karcz. Inside this issue Kailo Wellness Program 2 Community Attitude Survey 2 Mental Illness.........................3 Mental Health Program 4 /5 Health Seminars / Events... 6 Milton Wellness Fair................ 6 Good to G reat.................. 7 Teddy Bear Hospital................ 6 Wait Times.............................. 7 Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital · Georgetown Hospital · Milton District Hospital