Action in Saskatoon

I recently came across the website of the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council and was impressed to see the philosophy and activities of this organization.  The council is an independent agency that measures and reports on quality of care in Saskatchewan, promotes improvement, and engages its partners in building a better health system.

In particular, I love the theme of their most recent annual report:

 

That last point especially -- it's time for greater curiosity and more questions about the way things have always been done -- is the intellectual underpinning for quality, safety, and process improvement.

Look at this point, too, made CEO Bonnie Brossart, in the document:

I am energized by the development of our new 2011-2014 Strategic Plan, Accelerating System-wide Improvement: Transforming Saskatchewan’s health care system. What excites me is the collaborative approach we took in seeking out ideas from our customers about what they need from us over the next three years. While we don’t necessarily have the answers or solutions, we do have curiosity and QI knowledge to help our customers create their own solutions. Our plan reinforces our commitment and desire to play a pivotal role in ensuring the highest quality of health care for every person, every time.

The website, too, is chock full of interesting stories and updates, including links to other blogs, like this intriguing one, Adventures in Improving Access, where urologist Dr. Kishore Visvanathan and his colleagues present:

Their challenges and their victories, their obstacles and their "aha's" - as they work to drive down their backlog and push up the satisfaction of patients, referring physicians, and their own team.

Congratulations to this organization, and best wishes for continued success!