Island Health has received an award for the Hospital at Home program for excellence in patient experience.
The Canadian College of Health Leader announced the program as the winner of the 2022 Excellence in Patient Experience Award in April.
“The Excellence in Patient Experience Award is focused on honouring organizations and individuals who have set in place innovations that improve the human experience in healthcare,” the Canadian College of Health Leaders said in a news release on April 11.
“Island Health’s Hospital at Home (HaH) is an innovative patient-centered care model that offers patients and families an acute care alternative by providing 24/7 hospital-level care in the patients’ home.”
The program was awarded due to its success in fostering a culture of inclusion to meet the needs of patients, families and health-care providers.
“Hospital at Home provides patient-centered care beyond our acute care facilities, because for some patients home is best,” Leah Hollins, Island Health board chair said in a news release on May 17. “This award highlights all the great work done by this innovative new unit to care for patients in the comfort of their own home.”
Island Health says post-discharge interviews indicate all patients who participated would recommend the program to family or friends.
“My involvement with Hospital at Home was a truly rewarding experience,” Beth Bourke, a former patient said in a news release. “This unit is the right thing to do. It holds so much potential.”
The program launched in November 2020, and has helped ease some of the pressue on other units through increasing acute care capacity at the Victoria General and Royal Jubilee Hospitals.
“My husband (Mohawk/Anishinaabe) has dealt with trauma from Residential School and this trauma was slowly surfacing when he was in hospital,” Jessica Sault, wife and local elder from Nuuchahnulth Nation said in a news release. “This program embraces his comfort and allows him dignity to help in his struggle to recover. I believe this program increases his ability to heal.”
The award will be presented to Island Health at a virtual Honouring Health Leadership event on June 16.
READ MORE: Hospital at home pilot program kicks off at Victoria General Hospital
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