High rates of Alternate Level of Care (ALC) patients and challenges on moving patients from the Emergency Room to discharge are two areas of concern that led to the creation of a peer review team that will put Health Sciences North under the microscope.

President and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences (HSS), Murray Martin, will lead the peer review, which will centre on the overall impact of hospital operational issues on the community, according to the North East LHIN. Admission rates from the emergency department are the third highest in the province at 17 per cent.

“This decision was not taken lightly; however, the operational health of HSN is key to every person living in northeastern Ontario,” Louise Paquette, CEO of the North East LHIN, said. “We are blessed with exceptional health-care workers who provide patients with the hands-on care. Our job is to provide them with an effective and efficient system.

“We are confident that Mr. Martin’s work will assist the North East LHIN in making decisions that will help improve the hospital’s financial and organizational performance. It is critical to the North East LHIN that Health Sciences North continues to provide quality care to Greater Sudbury residents, as well as specialized regional programs to people across northeastern Ontario.”

Martin will work in partnership with the hospital and is expected to complete his review by the end of September. He will report to Paquette. Through the peer review, Martin will provide a series of recommendations to the LHIN on how operational processes can be improved at the hospital including the flow of patients out of the emergency department and into the rest of the hospital.

The hospital is supportive of the review and looks forward to working with Martin, according to a press release.

Prior to joining HHS, Martin served for close to 10 years as the president and CEO of Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. He has held many senior management positions including executive vice-president and Chief Operating Office for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

In 2006, Martin was asked to undertake a similar peer review of the Kingston General Hospital and then in 2009 he was appointed as supervisor of the Cambridge Memorial Hospital by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

HSN ended 2012 with a deficit of $3.3 million. The hospital submitted a Hospital Improvement Plan (HIP) at the end of March and signed a Hospital Sector Accountability Agreement promising to balance by September 2012.

Posted by Arron Pickard