After more than two years of work, the Horizon Health Network has released its latest strategic plan.
The plan is meant to guide health care enhancements within the health authority over the next five years.
Margaret Melanson, vice-president of quality and patient-centered care, said thousands of people provided input for the plan.
“We undertook internal consultation with our staff, with our physicians and with our patient experience advisors,” Melanson told Horizon’s quarterly board meeting last week.
“Externally, we had in-person sessions as well as through our communications team launched a lovely portal, Let’s Talk Horizon.”
Work on the plan began in February 2019 and faced a “slight delay” due to COVID-19, said Melanson.
Melanson said the topics they received feedback on were covered areas throughout the health system.
“Predominantly, you will see that a large amount of the discussion was in the area of access throughout the system. Emergency departments, surgical services, diagnostic services and so forth.”
The plan has three priorities: efficient and appropriate care; a system wrapped around patient and client needs; and sustainability.
Among the 12 objectives are lowering wait times, reducing avoidable hospitalization, and providing health care at appropriate locations and times.
Other objectives include:
- improving patient/client safety and quality of care
- coordinating health services to smooth transitions of care
- establishing a culture to strengthen health equity
- excelling and growing as a patient/client and family-centered organization
- empowering patients/clients, and providers, with secure options to access information and services
- improving accountability for health care service delivery results
- aligning human resources to achieve the Strategic Plan
- innovating to improve productivity and deliver health care services in the most cost-effective manner
- securing clinical and organizational information
Karen McGrath, president and CEO of Horizon Health, said the plan builds on their previous work so they can continue to provide safe and quality care to patients, clients and their families.
“This plan will help us to realize our potential, help us allocate our resources and set us up for success in addressing the health care challenges we’ve identified as priorities, which we know will persist in the coming decade,” McGrath said.
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