SLMHC’s echocardiography accreditation leading to more high-quality health services locally

Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre’s (SLMHC) Diagnostic Imaging Department has received a certificate of accreditation, from Accreditation Canada, for its echocardiography services. The accreditation serves as proof of meeting Accreditation Canada’s standards of quality care and service, helping to deliver high-end echocardiography services to patients here in Sioux Lookout.

Accreditation Canada provides an ongoing independent, third-party assessment of health services against standards for excellence built from best practices, and they help ensure better health care services for patients and clients.

SLMHC’s echocardiography accreditation means patients and clients receive the same standard of service here in Sioux Lookout as they would in larger cities across the province and country.

“I think this falls in line with the mission, vision, and values of the organization for providing patient-centred and top-notch care all the time… It means we know that the service being provided here in Sioux Lookout is the same service that people are going to be provided in Toronto or Thunder Bay, so it makes me really proud to be leading a department where we know our service is comparable because we go through the same accreditation requirements,” says Daleann Brinkman, Director of Clinical Support Services.

“Patients can have comfort in knowing they are geting the same standard of service here as they would in Kingston or Hamilton, for example, without having to travel… It makes me happy, personally, to be

able to provide these services to patients locally and help decrease the need for patients to travel to other facilities,” says Magdi Hussein, Ultrasound Technologist.

“It’s very important to not only offer services close to home, but to ensure our patients are receiving the best care possible. This accreditation is part of meeting our organizational goal of providing ‘Excellence Every Time’. We are thankful for our talented Diagnostic Imaging team for providing these crucial services, and for doing so at such a high standard,” says Heather Lee, President and CEO of SLMHC.

Hussein has been part of the SLMHC team for over 17 years and he’s seen a large increase in echocardiography services over that time, to the point where he now sees close to 800 patients a year. He says echocardiograms are crucial in detecting early heart disease.

“When I started, I probably saw 100 to 150 patients a year. Now, I can reach 600 to 700 echocardiograms alone … When it comes to stroke prevention and initial cardiac diagnoses, echocardiology is the first line of screening. It’s like your foot-soldier of cardiac diagnostic services, so it has to be first done and then you go to the other more specialized services,” says Hussein.

SLMHC’s echocardiography services are beneficial for patients and clients, and they’re also paving the way for further recruitment of locum cardiologists, who will help expand specialist programs offered at SLMHC.

“Having echocardiograms available to all the community and catchment area we serve is definitely a benefit so they can get the care here and we can detect potential heart disease early,” says Brinkman. “The service also enhances our ability to recruit and retain locum cardiologists as the hospital moves towards expanding our visiting specialists’ programs.”

Visit slmhc.on.ca/imaging for more information on SLMHC’s full diagnostic services.