Ontario Hospital Association Welcomes Proposed Excellent Care for All Act,<br>2010

TORONTO, May 3 /CNW/ - The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) welcomes the introduction of the Ontario government's new Excellent Care for All Act, 2010, seeing it as an important next step in continuous quality improvement.

"Improving the quality of the patient experience is the focus for every hospital and health care provider in Ontario," said OHA Board Chair Dr. Kevin Smith. "Although hospitals have demonstrated their commitment to improving the quality of patient care, there are sometimes gaps in legislation and policy that make implementing new practices a challenge."

"We believe that this new proposed legislation will provide hospitals boards, executives and health professionals with the clarity and tools they need to meet the public's increasing expectations regarding quality, patient safety and accountability," said Smith.

The proposed legislation and associated regulations are consistent with work currently being done by the OHA's Governance Centre of Excellence, including: the development of a comprehensive guide/toolkit for Boards of Directors respecting quality improvement; creating learning modules to cover physician engagement and surgical checklists; providing assistance for hospitals in staff credentialing; supporting the hospital sector with well-regarded tools such as "Guidelines and Principles for Executive Compensation" and the Guide to Good Governance.

"The OHA has long supported the principle of linking CEO pay with performance," added Tom Closson, OHA President and CEO. "We look forward to working with the government and hospitals on the design and implementation of the proposed legislation."

In the time ahead, the OHA looks forward to working collaboratively with the Ontario Medical Association, the Government of Ontario and other partners in health care to strengthen and implement this and other quality measures for the benefit of all patients.

For further information: OHA Public Affairs, [email protected], [phone]