Hospital peer review report out Oct. 9

The report stemming from the peer review of Health Sciences North will be released Oct. 9 on the North East Local Health Integration Network's website.

North East LHIN CEO Louise Paquette made the remarks while giving an update on the issue to her organization's board during a teleconference meeting Oct. 3.

The peer reviewer, Hamilton Health Sciences CEO Murray Martin, met with Paquette and officials from Health Sciences North, St. Joseph's Complex Continuing Care Centre and the North East Community Care Access Centre Oct. 2.

“Those meetings were meant to brief the organizations on the recommendations in this peer review report,” Paquette said.

Northern Life requested interviews with Paquette, Martin and Health Sciences North CEO Dr. Denis Roy. Representatives of all three CEOs said they would not be granting any interviews on the subject until the report is officially released.

The North East LHIN ordered the peer review in July.

The terms of reference for the review state Martin was to look at areas of hospital management including the hospital's budget, emergency department process improvements, the flow of patients in the hospital and the business case for the Sudbury Outpatient Centre.

Roy told Northern Life in a July interview that he doesn't think the peer review “is insulting or humiliating.” Rather, he thought it could provide the organization with good ideas to solve its problems.

Similarly, Martin said in July he hoped Health Sciences North can benefit from his experience, and at the same time, he said he also looked forward to learning from the Sudbury hospital.

“I always enjoy going to other communities,” he said. “We can share our ideas, but I always find you can learn at the same time as well. I'm sure there are things they're doing very well we can learn from.”

To read the report when it's released Oct. 9, visit www.nelhin.on.ca. Northern Life will also provide coverage of the report at that time.