Member, Surrey Memorial Hospital Emergency Room Improvement Team

Imagine a time when you can access a virtual hospital emergency room, where you are provided up to date information so that your care experience is excellent. The Surrey Memorial Hospital team is seeking two patient partners to join them in exploring this idea through their emergency room improvement team.

Open to: Patient partners in Fraser Health Communities who can travel to Surrey Memorial Hospital

Lead Organization or Department

Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH), Fraser Health

Aim

• To improve the patients’ experience in the SMH emergency room by developing patient communication and education through the concept of a virtual waiting room
• Patient partners will provide insights and offer solutions to achieve project goals

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Eligibility

This engagement is ideal for Patient Partners who: o Have experience with a variety of health care services (including the SMH emergency department) o are passionate about improving the patient experience o Feel comfortable sharing their experiences and working as part of a team Please note: a health care team/patient partner discussion will take place prior to determining placement If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 1-2
• Date/time: Every 2-3 months, in-person meetings; approximately 2-4 hours in length, with meeting notes and other ad-hoc emails possible during your term. Dates may vary based upon team members availability and other priorities and are hosted during business hours
• Location: Surrey Memorial Hospital
• Commitment: 6 months

Reimbursement

Preapproved expenses related to travel to in person meetings will be reimbursed according to the Fraser Health Travel policy (including mileage, parking, tolls and/or public transit).

Background

The growing population of Surrey and its surrounding communities have resulted in very high demands for care in the Emergency Department. It is not uncommon to see upwards of 400 patients daily. Patients are triaged at the door when they present and are given a standardized Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) level based on their health concerns. This system is designed so that patients with more serious health concerns are prioritized over patients whose health concerns are not as severe. Unfortunately, this can result in long wait times. Due to the very nature of CTAS, it is impossible to predict exact wait times, as things can change in an instant. This presents a communication challenge for the SMH Emergency team and the patients they care for. We are hoping that by developing this improvement team we can co-design an effective project to assist with improving communication with patients and families.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jami Brown
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Fraser Valley
604.510.0449
jbrown@bcpsqc.ca