Spread Projects

The Joint Centres hospital members are collectively working on several projects aimed at improving quality, value and safety in health care. By pooling resources and talent, all six hospitals can benefit from lessons learned and individual best practices. These projects can later be used as a model for other health care institutions to emulate.

Reducing C. difficile Infections

Hospital acquired infections, including C. difficile, impose a significant strain on the recovery of patients and on resources within the health care system. Notably, C. difficile is recognized to be a heavy environmental contaminant and measures must be taken to mitigate transmission of disease via health care worker hands, shared equipment, and the hospital environment. As the lead site for the C. difficile Spread Initiative, Michael Garron Hospital has been collaborating with the Joint Centre hospitals since 2014 to develop and improve C. difficile control measures. Together, the Joint Centre hospitals are sharing best practices and identifying emerging practices to assist in the reduction of the burden of C. difficile in health care.

Reducing C-section Rates 

The Joint Centres are spreading Markham Stouffville Hospital's strategy to reduce the rate of C-sections through patient/client education and awareness, a tracking and reporting process, and change in unit policy. Recommended practice changes for consideration and adaptation by other hospitals include early maternal education on options (i.e. VBAC classes), review of policies and procedures (i.e. induction), supportive care during labour and delivery and development of midwifery programs for low-risk births. 

Spreading Choosing Wisely

Choosing Wisely Canada is a campaign to help clinicians and patients engage in conversations about unnecessary tests and treatments. Since 2014, North York General Hospital has been working to implement Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations and spread its success to the Joint Centres hospitals. Significant reductions in unnecessary testing have been demonstrated at North York General Hospital and Michael Garron Hospital. Moving forward, efforts will be focused on supporting the implementation of Choosing Wisely campaigns and recommendations across participating Joint Centres sites. Choosing Wisely: An Idea Worth Spreading received two-year funding through the Adopting Research to Improve Care program (ARTIC), a program co-led and sponsored by the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) and Health Quality Ontario (HQO). This funding will  extend the project to other Joint Centres hospitals and primary care practices affiliated with them. The project has included the identification of physician champions and selection of the top tests that will be targeted for reduction by each organization.

Workplace Violence Prevention 

The Joint Centres are collaborating on a spread project focused on prevention of violence in the workplace that is being co-led by Michael Garron Hospital and Southlake Regional Health Centre. The project will build on strategies developed by all hospitals to create safe and secure workplaces that help achieve the objective of zero tolerance for violence. Leading practices will be identified and developed into a “spread playbook” that can be shared and adapted by each hospital in areas such as risk assessment, training, flagging, reporting and leadership and staff engagement.