CRH surgeries a cut above the rest
CRH ONE OF WORLD’S SAFEST PLACES FOR AN OPERATION
Not everyone looks forward to surgery.
But for southern Albertans, the good news is that Chinook Regional Hospital is one of the world’s safest places for an operation.
It’s among 83 hospitals right around the world, an international organization says, when it comes to “exemplary” outcomes after surgery.
And it’s the only one in Alberta. But now Lethbridge professionals are reaching out to help colleagues across the province to improve their patients’ outcomes.
“This program and award distinction demonstrates that great care is safe, efficient and costeffective as well,” said Dr. Jack Regehr, zone medical director for Alberta south, after the announcement by the American College of Surgeons.
The goal, following evidencebased practices, is to reduce infections, illnesses and deaths related to surgical procedures.
Each year about 10,000 surgeries are performed at Chinook Regional — including smaller “day surgery” procedures — and last year just 12 patients had to return to the hospital within 30 days of their procedure. That put Chinook in the top 10 per cent of the 800-plus hospitals around the world following the American experts’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.
What that calls for, explains Dr. Melissa Setiawan, is carefully following “best practices” with every patient.
“It’s the small things that make a big difference,” she says.
As lead anesthesiologist in the ongoing initiative, Setiawan points to such basics as keeping the patient comfortably warm before and after surgery, as well as providing the recommended medications in a timely manner.
Then, back in their room, patients’ dressings need to be changed. Nurses will closely monitor their patients’ recovery. And other hospital personnel like physiotherapists help them prepare for discharge.
The official recognition is shared by 14 anesthesiologists and about 20 surgeons on the Chinook team. But it’s southern Alberta patients who really benefit.
“It means patients can feel confident they are getting really good quality care,” Setiawan says.
Dr. Luke Szobota, lead surgeon on the program, says work began in 2014. Chinook was one of five Alberta hospitals to sign onto the program — and the first to earn commendation.
Part of the process, he explains, is tracking patients’ progress after they return home. In turn, the international organization monitors each hospital’s improvements.
And in Lethbridge, the improvements have been impressive. During 541 orthopedic surgeries in 2017, there wasn’t one cardiac complication. And while in 2016 there were five related to other types of surgery, last year there were none.
And the number of readmissions within 30 days of a “general surgery” procedure dropped from 22 in 2016 to 12 last year.
Those results impressed David Chakravorty, a lead player with the Surgery Strategic Clinical Network for Alberta Health Services.
“The surgical teams at Chinook Regional Hospital have demonstrated how to use clinical data as a decision-making guideline for improvement work that is world class,” he says.