Excellent Care for All Act
Ontario's Excellent Care for All Strategy
Health care matters to every Ontarian. That’s why the government has taken important steps to improve the quality of Ontario’s health care system and make sure every health care dollar is used to provide the best possible care.
Ontario’s new Excellent Care for All strategy means that :
- The patient is at the centre of the health care system.
- Decisions about patient care are based on the best evidence and standards.
- The health care system is focused on the quality of care and the best use of resources.
- The main goal of the health care system is to get better and better at what it does.
How does this affect the health care system?
The health care system is playing a vital role in improving health care services for Ontarians by working toward new standards set out in the Excellent Care for All Act, which became law in June of 2010. These new standards will ensure that Ontarians receive health care of the highest possible quality and value.
How will it affect me?
For individual Ontarians and their families, the Excellent Care for All strategy means that :
- Doctors, nurses and everyone working in health care will put your needs as a patient first.
- The best available evidence will be used to make decisions about the care you receive.
- The experience you have as a patient will be an important part of health care quality.
- You will have more information and greater choice in the health care you receive.
Finally, health care providers will be paid based on how well they make quality their main job. As the health care system makes quality its number one concern, it will also make better use of public funds. And that means all Ontarians will be able to count on the health system being there in the future.
For more information go to: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/legislation/excellent_care/
Quality Improvement Plans
Update - as of January 24, 2011
The Excellent Care for All Act, which received royal assent in June 2010, is landmark piece of legislation for Ontario. It fosters a culture of continuous quality improvement in health care, where the needs of patients come first.
The Act requires that every year, health care organizations (beginning with hospitals) develop a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) for the following fiscal year and make that plan available to the public. The expectation is for organizations to have QIPs in place, publicly posted, and submitted to the Ontario Health Quality Council for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2011.
These plans are an opportunity to highlight an organization's commitment to:
- delivering high quality health care;
- creating a positive patient experience;
- ensuring that it is responsive and accountable to the public;
- holding its executive team accountable for its achievement; and
- being transparent.
The Excellent Care for All Act Implementation Working Group ( ECFAA IWG), whose members include representatives from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the OHQC, OHA, LHINs, and hospitals from across Ontario, has led the process of developing tools hospitals can use when preparing their QIPs. Guidance has also been provided on how to incorporate the various required elements in the QIP (such as describing the manner in and extent to which executive compensation should be tied to QIPs).
Here you can view/download the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital's Quality Improvement Plan 2011.
Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)
