Dr. Sheikh arranged for a cystoscopy, a procedure that examines the inside of the bladder and urethra. It discovered a tumour. After the procedure, Don returned to the Emergency Department three times to deal with complications and was eventually admitted to MSH for two nights and given a blood transfusion.

“There was a lot of interaction with a great number of different staff caring for him,” recalls Don’s wife, Anne Carrier. “Everyone, without exception, was amazing. The intake staff made it clear they were concerned about wait times, and the triage nurses and doctors brought tears to our eyes on more than one occasion because of their kind voices and touch.”

Anne says that Dr. Sheikh went above and beyond expectations in providing care. When contacted about a post-surgical issue affecting Don, Dr. Sheikh immediately provided advice, even though he was out of the country on vacation. “He also came to see Don the day after the transfusion to tell him the joyful news that the tumour was not cancerous,” says Anne.

Becoming a High Reliability Organization

Don’s and Anne’s story reflects the commitment by Oak Valley Health (OVH) to consistently deliver safe, high-quality, person-centred care and an extraordinary patient experience.

As part of this commitment, OVH is on a journey to become a High Reliability Organization (HRO) through the implementation of principles and practices that foster a safe, reliable, learning environment of continuous improvement. As part of this journey, OVH is focusing on improving clinical and patient-related outcomes that reflect leading practices and embed the patient voice in all its improvement work.

“HRO principles guide OVH in delivering consistently safe, high-quality patient care, even in complex situations,” says Michelle Samm, Director of Patient Relations, Quality and Safety, and Infection Prevention and Control. “By staying alert to risks, valuing front-line insights, and learning from every incident, we build a culture of safety and resilience.”

Feedback from patients and caregivers like Don and Anne is a powerful tool that drives improvement and challenges assumptions by highlighting strengths and identifying areas for improvement.

“Don’s story is a wonderful example of HRO principles contributing to an extraordinary patient experience,” says Kanwal Ali, Manager of Patient Experience. “The connection fostered with Don and Anne throughout their journey is heartwarming and exemplifies how our reputation is built — through small and consistent acts of compassion and kindness, through which our patients and their families come to trust and rely on us.”

Every patient interaction, from emergency care, to admission, to outpatient care, reflects OVH’s commitment to integrate clinical excellence with compassion and connection. Cross-department collaboration is essential to ensuring safe and seamless care. “OVH teams from clinical, diagnostic, support, and administrative areas work closely together to share information, coordinate transactions, and prevent gaps in care,” says Michelle. “This unified approach helps reduce errors, improves patient outcomes, and enhances the overall care experience.”

OVH encourages mindfulness, situational awareness, and a questioning attitude, even in routine tasks. “This helps prevent complacency, keeps safety top of mind and ensures consistent, compassionate care,” adds Michelle.

OVH’s Quality Improvement Plan

OVH’s Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) is a vital tool that documents and reviews current performance across various areas, guiding efforts to enhance patient care, increase satisfaction, and achieve better clinical outcomes.

The QIP is developed through consultation with staff, professional staff, volunteers, students, and community members, ensuring that areas of focus are informed by diverse perspectives and experiences. Cross-functional teams, including executive sponsors and operational leaders, oversee each area of focus within the QIP, supporting the improvements and ensuring progress and accountability.

By integrating the QIP with HRO initiatives, OVH reinforces its commitment to a culture of safety, continuous learning, and long-term system improvement, ensuring that exceptional care and extraordinary patient experiences are delivered reliably, every time, in every setting.

Putting feedback to work

OVH advanced its commitment to quality and patient-centred care by launching a new digital patient experience survey powered by the Qualtrics XM platform. This tool enables the organization to gather timely and secure feedback from patients following their hospital stay. By capturing insights directly from patients, OVH can better understand areas of strength and identify opportunities for improvement. The data collected through Qualtrics informs quality improvement efforts across the organization, supporting a culture of continuous learning and ensuring care is delivered with compassion, respect, and excellence.

Where care meets connection

In addition to supporting its Strategic Plan, initiatives such as HRO and Qualtrics align with the organization’s accreditation readiness, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging strategies, Patient Experience goals, and digital transformation.

“When it comes to patient experience, the small things are the big things,” says Kanwal. “Don’s story highlights the exceptional care delivered by our staff and physicians and speaks to their compassion and professionalism, even while helping patients navigate challenging diagnoses and medical complications. Each individual played a role in providing a positive experience for this patient and family.”

As for Don and Anne, they are very grateful for and impressed by the care received at MSH.

“We want to honour the many, many people who were involved,” says Anne. “This hospital seems to us the representation of all that is best about health care.”

Shaping the future: OVH’s HRO journey combined with a strong focus on patient experience will provide opportunities to deepen trust, empower patients, and build a culture of warmth, inclusion, and predictability in every care encounter.