Safety and quality of care in CIUSSS facilities is “non-negotiable,” public told

Alan Maislin, President of the Board of Directors of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal

The safety of healthcare users and the quality of their care will never be compromised, members of the public were promised at the inaugural Public Information Meeting of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.

“The quality of our care and the safety of our users are non-negotiable,” Alan Maislin, President of the CIUSSS Board of Directors, said on November 9 in the Lea Polansky Carrefour of the JGH’s Pavilion K.

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal

The meeting was held to acquaint the public with the CIUSSS’s activities, provide information about various services, and enable members of the public to ask questions of top CIUSSS directors and managers.

Mr. Maislin said the pledge to uphold the quality of care “comes from the leadership of our CIUSSS and the commitment of our Board of Directors to provide the best possible health care for the citizens of Quebec and our own constituency.”

Rosemary Steinberg (right), the Commissioner of Complaints and Quality of Service, explains how the complaints process contributes to improvements in the quality of the care that users receive.

Also non-negotiable, he said, is the CIUSSS’s commitment to preserving and protecting the culture and heritage of its member institutions. “We will not deviate from the standards that were established for us by our predecessors in all of our institutions throughout the community.”

At the Public Information Meeting, information was available about the Specialized Approach to Senior Care.

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of the CIUSSS, said the major challenge in the immediate future is the integration of care across all of the healthcare network’s facilities. He described this effort as “a journey, a very creative but difficult journey,” that is essential to “providing you, the public, with a seamless continuum of care, not just for medical issues, but for social service-related issues, as well.”

Dr. Rosenberg also urged members of the public to speak up “if you want services that you’re not getting, or if you want improvements in certain activities. It’s your responsibility to tell us what we’re not doing right, or what we’re not doing enough of, because at the end of the day, this is your CIUSSS, this is your hospital, the long-term care facilities are yours, the clinics in our CLSCs are yours.

A table at the Public Information Meeting provided tips on preventing the spread of infection.

“We’re far from perfect, but we do aspire to greatness. We need you to be with us, to help us, and to support us by telling us where we can continue to improve, as the network continues to unfold in the weeks and months and years ahead.”