Hospitals unite to improve access to care

It’s something we don’t often think about. We go about our daily lives, and then suddenly, we contract a serious illness that puts us in the hospital for a long time.

In September 2007, it happened to Mr. Mohamed. Without warning, this avid photographer developed severe pneumonia and lost his ability to breathe. He spent two and a half months on a respiratory support machine in North York General Hospital’s intensive care unit.

“I don’t remember much. It’s as if the time [in intensive care] disappeared,” Mohamed said, explaining that he was so weakened that he did not recognize his own family. His lack of mobility, coupled with complications with his hip, made walking nearly impossible.

To help patients like Mohamed survive and recover, St. John’s Rehab Hospital has teamed up with North York General Hospital. Together, the two north Toronto hospitals are improving access to health care – from the emergency department through to specialized rehabilitation.

In March 2008, the hospitals integrated their inpatient rehab services into a focused, specialized program at St. John’s Rehab. Most patients at North York General Hospital who can benefit from rehabilitation are now transferred to St. John’s Rehab upon completion of acute care treatments.

This represents one of Ontario’s first major health integration projects since the advent of Local Health Integration Networks.

The partnership has allowed North York General Hospital to convert its 15-bed inpatient rehab program into beds for patients with acute care needs. North York General Hospital will now be able to admit more patients to hospital, thereby reducing wait times in the emergency department.

St. John’s Rehab Hospital is using newly added resources to admit patients with additional medical needs. With this integration project, we now have the capacity to provide over 5000 additional days of rehabilitation annually, equal to providing care to almost 14 more patients at any one time.

The integration into a single, specialized rehabilitation centre will give patients the care they need at the right time and in the right setting. The partnership means both hospitals can use their respective expertise to improve patient outcomes and maintain already high levels of quality care.

Ultimately, this is about providing more people with both life-saving treatment and the rehab care needed to return home sooner and in better health. This partnership will allow St. John’s Rehab Hospital to return more people to the community with renewed independence and quality of life.

This partnership demonstrates how health care providers can come together to improve access to care and deliver on local health priorities established by the Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). The two hospitals have worked together to define the process for patient referrals, establish an appropriate program of care, educate clinicians, and ensure adequate resources are in place.

The partnership also demonstrates how rehabilitation hospitals such as St. John’s Rehab can help improve patient access and flow in acute care hospitals, while at the same time providing patients with the care they need in the most appropriate setting. Rehab patients benefit from improved health outcomes, productivity and quality of life. And, all patients in the health care system benefit by increased access to care.

Rehabilitation is well-positioned as a solution to key health care challenges, particularly in reducing wait times for care and reducing future need for health services.

As Mohamed travels his road to recovery, he credits both hospitals. “North York General is a great hospital – they took good care of me. And, St. John’s Rehab emphasizes exercise and doing things – they push you to get better every day.”

St. John’s Rehab is the only hospital in Ontario solely dedicated to specialized rehabilitation. This North Toronto facility is a community affiliated teaching site of the University of Toronto and is recognized as a high-performing hospital by the Ontario Hospital Association’s Hospital Report Series. Home to Ontario’s only burn and Canada’s only organ transplant rehabilitation programs, we care for people with complex, life-changing illnesses and injuries. With a unique focus on the whole person – body, mind and spirit – St. John’s Rehab Hospital is rebuilding people’s lives.

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