Clinical Engagement Overview
What is Clinical Engagement?
Engagement is one of Alberta Health Services (AHS) core values, and engaging clinicians (that being physicians, nurses, allied health professionals) is a critical element to building a quality and safety culture in our organization. Clinical engagement can empower clinicians and improve collaboration to ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Clinical engagement may be realized through the day-to-day interactions between clinicians and leadership, and can also be more structured via formal committees targeting specific clinical issues or opportunities. By tapping into clinicians' knowledge and expertise to address patient and population focused issues, we will be better prepared to improve quality, safety and access to care.
What strategies are being implemented to strengthen Clinical Engagement?
The Clinical Engagement Division within AHS is focused on facilitating clinicians’ involvement and ownership of quality and patient safety, and pursuing a “Quality and Safety Culture”.
A key strategy to build and strengthen clinician engagement across AHS is the implementation of an Alberta Clinician Council (ACC) and several Clinical Networks.
- Alberta Clinician Council (ACC)
The ACC is a multidisciplinary forum that addresses issues of quality, access and patient safety. Membership includes a broad representation of clinicians with regular, direct clinical duties, and healthcare leaders from across the province. Refer to the ACC membership list for a complete list of members, and the ACC biographies to learn more about each member.
ACC members provide advice and support to AHS executive and senior leadership on significant clinical strategic issues and organizational priorities. ACC advises on quality and patient safety issues and provide input on major safety recommendations.
ACC also advises on significant clinical strategic issues, organizational priorities and new opportunities. Recommendations from ACC are forwarded directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer of AHS and a formal response from CEO is received within 6 weeks.
Refer to the Terms of Reference for more details on the work of the ACC. - Clinical Networks
By the end of March 2010, nine Clinical Networks will be established by AHS. These include Addictions/Mental Health, Bone & Joint, Cancer, Cardiac, Critical Care, Emergency, Pulmonary, Stroke/Neuro, and Surgery.
Clinical Networks are formally recognized multidisciplinary working groups made up of clinicians, healthcare leaders, and patient representatives from across the province. Each Clinical Network will focus on evidence-based targeted work, seek out leading practices and ensure those practices are applied consistently across the province.
The main goals for each Clinical Network will be to:
1. Improve patient outcomes and access.
2. Improve clinical practices.
3. Address quality and patient safety issues.
4. Apply clinical expertise to strategic and service planning.
5. Support the teaching and research responsibilities of AHS.
The Clinical Networks meet monthly and are accountable to a designated Executive Sponsor (Vice President/Senior Vice President) and the ACC. Membership for each of the Clinical Networks is determined by the respective Clinical Network Co-Chairs and Executive Sponsors. Refer to Terms of Reference for more details on the work of the Clinical Networks.
Why is Clinical Engagement important?
The complexity of both a province-wide health system and modern health care service delivery makes clinical engagement a critical element of the health care system. It is imperative for us to build trust in the collective ability to identify solutions, and work through the many questions and issues that will arise in order to improve quality, access to services and patient safety.
The establishment of the Clinical Engagement Division and formal committee structures such as the ACC and Clinical Networks is an important step in strengthening the level of engagement of clinicians across the organization.
To learn more about the ACC, Clinical Networks or other strategies/initiatives to strengthen clinical engagement and facilitate the growth of a quality and safety culture within the organization, please contact:
Brigitte McDonough, Executive Director, Clinical Engagement
Phone: 780-735-0181
Email: brigitte.mcdonough@albertahealthservices.ca
Robyn Blackadar, Vice President, Leading Practices and Innovation
Phone: 780-735-0390
Email: robyn.blackadar@albertahealthservices.ca
