electronic health record and is looking at ways to integrate its system with other organizations to share information more easily.
Tom Hopgood 519-621-8686 x215
Robert Ryl 647-505-8542
Trellis has also begun using a common as-
Healthcare Environments
sessment tool for mental health that can easily be shared with other organizations. A patient can fill out the assessment at a walk-in appointment at Trellis, but if they go to another health organization, they can have access to that assessment to help coordinate care. A major challenge for Trellis has been to recruit and retain qualified mental-health professionals. Ontario has a shortage of psychiatrists, and with budget cuts or freezes, it’s difficult to offer competitive salaries. To help combat this problem, Trellis has been a heavy user of Ontario’s telemedicine system, one of the most sophisticated in the world. Staff at Trellis are able to consult with psychiatrists or providers hundreds of miles away to assess and diagnose patients, saving the organization money and making up for shortfalls in recruitment. Trellis is also evaluating the use of tablets so that providers have access to patient information at
“It has a tremendous impact on how we do busi-
the point of care.
ness,” he said.
Properly managing time is vital to becoming
The forming of strategic partners is also a pen-
more efficient and in cutting costs, so Trellis has
dulum swing. No longer can an organization operate
looked at a few options for increasing productivity
in a silo; it must make tough decisions in the best
and meeting patient needs. One way is by offering
interests of the system and in providing holistic care
more walk-in clinics. Setting up appointments cre-
to patients, Wagner explained.
ates a lag from when a person calls and when they
“The process of bringing two organizations
can be seen that has the potential to be detrimental
together is not without significant challenges, but
for patients with mental illness.
taking bold steps to improve healthcare service
“When people are motivated and saying they
delivery is required if we wish to improve healthcare
have an issue that needs to be addressed, we
outcomes for residents and provide better value for
should cut down on the time it takes to assist
the healthcare system as a whole.”
them,” Wagner said. “We are trying to get away from the notion of pre-arranged appointment
by Patricia Chaney
times.” Wagner said technology is one of the biggest changes he has seen in his 25 years of working in mental health.
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