Toronto General Hospital Follow Up - Sometimes you really can fight "city hall"
As many of you will be aware me Sainted Irish Mother recently underwent a very unfortunate experience at Toronto General Hospital's ER. I wrote about that incident originally here and a condensed version appeared in the National Post's Full Comment Section here.
I would like to personally thank all who commented and offered their prayers and wishes for her speedy recovery. Mom is recovering nicely from her heart attack and the complications that ensued. We are grateful that she is still with us. Mom has also moved in with us solely because we thought it novel to have someone critique our housekeeping on a full time basis;)
Of further note is that my article was brought to the attention of Toronto General. They initiated contact and I have now had several conversations with Ms. Sharon Rogers, Director of Patient Relations at the University Health Network of which Toronto General is part. Informally Ms. Rogers and I examined the chain of events outlined in my post, yesterday she got back to me with her findings and resolution.
The short version is, as I am happy to report, that TGH will be implementing a new ER policy that will force "ownership" of a patients treatment on the department that initially dealt with them. This policy will obviate the type of communication breakdown that occurred in Mom's case.
Furthermore the Agency Nurses on duty that evening will no longer be engaged by Toronto General Hospital.
I would like to extend my thanks & appreciation to both Ms. Rogers and Toronto General Hospital for acting so decisively in this matter. Sometimes you really can fight "city hall".
...
PS. Ms Rogers asks that I invite the public to contact her directly should anyone else wish to discuss their concerns with TGH.
Yowzah!
You are a good son and a good citizen, BCF! Well done!
Thanks J!
Wow! Congratulations on a positive outcome that can only help to make things better for others in the same situation. Good on the TGH admin for taking your complaint seriously.
Glad to hear your Mom is doing better. Keep it clean!
The pen is mightier than the... Well done.
But what are Agency Nurses? Do they work out of some kind of temp agency? And are all of them being terminated or just the ones you encountered?
Yes Tru, a Temp Agency that is used to fill gaps in staffing. It's my understanding the reference was to individuals.
Glad this worked out and it seems Ms Rogers has changed her approach possibly? Quite a few years ago, it was not the same story and Ms Rogers was an advocate for the hospital although her title did not reflect this.
Sandi she was quite candid about the hospitals shortcomings, even going so far to describe our experience as systemically common.
WOW!!!!
#1. I am glad your mom is doing well. My best wishes and thoughts continue to go out to her.
#2. Well done with the hospital!
This is awesome news!
#3. Can I please get you to write up MY local hospitals? We SOOOO need you!
Heh Xanth that's me - "Have Blog will travel"
Squeaky wheel, squeak on.
Funny how a bureaucracy will perk up and pay attention to you when you nail them square in the head with a big bag of wet sand, eh?
i hope your mom's doing good.
health is the one thing we take for granted, until we go through some kind of hell that wakes us up to our own mortality.
i went through my own version two years ago, and am improving only now. it ain't fun. i'm grumpier, but at the same time, i do not take life for granted. its more precious than we realise.
Your writing just made many lives a bit less traumatic.
Glad this worked out and it seems Ms Rogers has changed her approach possibly? Quite a few years ago, it was not the same story and Ms Rogers was an advocate for the hospital although her title did not reflect this.
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