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Our Approach in Practice
Not all projects require every step in the approach, and your situation will dictate the specialized approach that will be taken to address your needs. The following diagram illustrates the steps applied in various projects we have undertaken (in blue). Below the schematic, a number of case studies are available to demonstrate our experience in each of the illustrated fields.
Directional and Strategic Planning
This section contains summaries of a selection of recent projects we have undertaken.
Alberta Health and Wellness: Facilitated Continuing Care Discussions
Managed a process to support and facilitate a stakeholder consultation process addressing challenges and opportunities for continuing care in Alberta. The project involved preparation and development of support materials, including registration materials, for a one-day consultation session involving regional health authorities (54 representatives), Alberta Health and Wellness and Alberta Seniors and Community Supports. Deliverables included near-verbatim discussion notes as well as final deliverable synthesizing the approach and findings addressing seven specific topics.
Canadian Cancer Society: Alberta / NWT Division: Environmental Scan
Managed a two-part project to complete an environmental scan on programs, services, enabling policy and legislation for the prevention of cancer related to healthy eating/obesity, active living, tobacco-free and tobacco cessation and safe sun/UV exposure. The information obtained through the escan was used to develop a paper to position the Canadian Cancer Society with its partners in both short and long term chronic disease prevention strategies.
Alberta Health and Wellness: Facilitated Think Tank on Wellness
Facilitated a Think Tank on Wellness for a cross-section of staff in Alberta Health and Wellness, involving up to 47 participants. The results of the Think Tank were complied into a report as a record of the discussion and for consideration of next steps.
Alberta Health and Wellness: Development of Infection Prevention and Control Strategy
Managed a project to develop an Infection Prevention and Control Strategy for Alberta. The project involves working with the newly established Alberta Infection Prevention and Control Advisory Committee. Specific project activities include literature review/environmental scan, key informant interviews and focus groups, preparation of issue/discussion papers, and the strategy document.
Alberta Health and Wellness: Development of Provincial Hand Hygiene Strategy
Managed a project to develop a plan for a Provincial Hand Hygiene Strategy in Alberta, a component of the provincial Infection Prevention and Control program. The development of the Alberta Hand Hygiene Strategy involved a multifaceted, comprehensive approach. The hand hygiene strategy provided background information for informed decision making, engaged stakeholders, and established direction for a provincial hand hygiene strategy designed to protect and improve the health of Albertans. The goal is to improve and maintain hand hygiene behavior in Albertans, i.e., in health care and non-health care environments. Project deliverables included a literature review, environmental scan, strategy and a costed implementation plan.
Alberta Health and Wellness: Development of Provincial Immunization Strategy
Managed a project to develop an immunization strategy for Alberta. The goal of the project was to recommend specific evidenced-based strategies that will be operationalized by public health staff and other stakeholders within the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs). Once implemented, these strategies will assist in increasing the protection of Albertans against vaccine preventable diseases through improved immunization rates. The project involved a literature review, environmental scan, and stakeholder consultations. The resulting strategy also included a costed implementation plan.
Northern Lights Health Region: Update & Amalgamate 10 year Continuing Care Plans for Two Health Regions
Managed a project to update and amalgamate 10 year Continuing Care Plans for two health regions that were consolidated into one health region as the Northern Lights Health Region in December 2003. The project involved community research, analysis of continuing care trends and continuing care projections to the year 2012.
Program, Policy and Facility Development and Needs Assessments
Alberta Health and Wellness: Implementation of the Alberta Infection Prevention and Control Strategy
Managing a project to inform initiatives on the implementation of two strategic directions in the Alberta Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Strategy (previously developed by the consultant in 2007) concerning provincial standards and monitoring and human resource requirements. The project involves the development of a strategic framework to guide the development of future standards, a background document on technical requirements for health facilities, development of a human resource capacity plan and a detailed implementation plan for training of sterile reprocessors. The project involves a close working relationship with stakeholders as well as IPC experts in pertinent areas.
Alberta Senior Citizens’ Housing Association: Review of Formal Arrangements Between Regional Health Authorities and Supportive Living Operators (June 2007 to January 2009)
Managing a project to review the formal arrangements between regional health authorities and supportive living operators for the delivery of health services. The project involves a review of contracts, consultations with supportive living operators and regional health authorities. The resulting report will address challenges and recommendations for their resolution. The project is guided by a representative stakeholder Project Team.
Alberta Seniors and Community Supports: Review of the Supportive Living Accommodation Standards
Managing a project for the review of the Supportive Living Accommodation Standards. The project includes survey of supportive living operators in Alberta as well focused meetings with other key stakeholders also affected by the standards, including housing and public health officials. The final deliverable will include development of revised standards based on input and feedback received during the review/consultation process.
Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research: Development of Implementation and Evaluation Plan for the Alberta Injury Control Strategy
Managing a project to develop an implementation and evaluation plan for the Alberta Injury Control Strategy (AICS) (previously developed by the consultant in 2003). The project involves close work with a Steering Committee (consisting of cross-Ministry Assistant Deputy Ministers) and three working groups with cross-Ministerial representation directed at the strategic goals identified in the ACIS.
Capital Health: Addressing the Infection Prevention and Control Education and Training Needs of Front Line Workers
Managing a project to address the infection prevention and control educational and training needs of frontline workers in the supportive living sector. The project involves a needs assessment, development of a training plan, development of resources as required and the provision of training sessions to enable access by all frontline workers. The project involves close collaboration and consultation with a stakeholder working group and the supportive living sector at large.
Alberta Seniors and Community Supports: Assessment of Options for Accreditation
Managed a project to assess the options for accreditation in the supportive living sector in Alberta. The project involved an escan of accrediting organizations and an assessment of their appropriateness for Alberta’s supportive living, in addition to presentations by selected accrediting organizations. Several policy issues were also identified with recommendations being made by a Stakeholder Advisory Working Group to the Ministry. The project involved a cross-section of representatives in the private, not-for-profit and public supportive living sectors, as well as organizations representing seniors and persons with developmental disabilities.
Health Canada Alberta Region: Examination of Liaison Function of the Regional Directors General Across Health Canada
Managed a project to examine the liaison function of the Regional Directors General across Health Canada. The project involved select interviews, review of pertinent background documents leading to the creation of the liaison role, and a limited review of liaison literature. The project resulted in a summary of the expectations, key challenges and recommendations for moving forward.
Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement
Capital Health: Evaluation of the Immunization Innovation Fund
Managing a project to evaluate the Immunization Innovation Funding (IIF) project in Capital Health. The IIF is one of the implementation plans resulting from the Alberta Immunization Strategy. The Capital Health project targets four approaches to raise the level of immunization among children and school students in the region, as well as assessing and responding to the immunization information needs of health professionals and other partners.
Alberta Health and Wellness: Evaluation of the Alberta Hip and Knee Replacement Project
Participated in a project to evaluate the redesigned clinical pathway developed for hip and knee replacement patients. A total of 1,200 patients were recruited to participate in the study (the study group) during fiscal 2005/06. Services are being provided by 12 orthopedic surgeons in three centers (Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer). In addition, a single intake process has been established in each of these regions to assess, prioritize and educate patients, book resources and optimize the surgical and rehabilitation process. An applied research design has also been developed to follow 1,200 arthroplasty patients prospectively through the entire continuum of the redesigned care path. At the same time, a cohort of patients will be followed through the existing pathway for arthroplasty (the control group). The project involves development of a logic model, analyses of financial and clinical databases, interviews/surveys/focus groups with patients, referring physicians, orthopedic surgeons and clinic staff involved in the redesigned clinical pathway.
Alberta Health and Wellness, Alberta Learning and Alberta Medical Association: University of Alberta Department of Medicine Alternate Funding Plan Pilot
Participated in a project to evaluate the Alternate Funding Plan (AFP) pilot at the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta (Edmonton), Faculty of Medicine and Oral Health Sciences. Prior to the AFP, academic physicians supplemented their incomes with clinical fee-for-services. Since June 2002, block funding has been provided to remove barriers to deliver all aspects of the academic mission including clinical, teaching, research and administrative activities. A logic model was developed that linked inputs to processes to outputs and outcomes in seven key areas. Seven work streams or lines of enquiry were implemented to populate the logic model including analyses of financial and clinical databases, patient and referring physician surveys, individual interviews and a survey of AFP members.
Further Areas of Expertise
A detailed description of projects and project summaries is available for all additional areas of expertise upon request.