Long-term care homes join RNAO’s Best Practice Spotlight Organization program

A new cohort of long-term care (LTC) homes in Ontario will implement evidence-based care as part of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s (RNAO) Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) program. The 15 organizations were selected through a rigorous proposal process. Those selected have signed partnership agreements to implement RNAO’s internationally recognized evidence-based guidelines, and to evaluate their impact on residents’ quality of life and clinical outcomes.

As part of the agreement, the LTC homes will implement a minimum of three of RNAO’s clinical best practice guidelines (BPG) over a three-year period with support from the association’s LTC Best Practices Program coordinators. BPGs provide nurses and other health professionals with up-to-date evidence-based knowledge, leading to improved care, quality of life and health outcomes for Ontario’s most vulnerable seniors.

RNAO is delighted to welcome the following LTC homes from across Ontario into its world-renowned BPSO program:

• City of Ottawa’s Peter D. Clark Centre, Carleton Lodge, Garry J. Armstrong, and Centre d’accueil Champlain (Ottawa)
• Fiddick’s Nursing Home & Retirement Home Ltd. (Petrolia)
• Greenwood Court (Stratford)
• Heritage Green Nursing Home (Stoney Creek)
• Heron Terrace Long Term Care Community (Windsor)
• Humber Meadows Long-Term Care Home (North York)
• Mount Hope Centre for Long-Term Care (London)
• Royal Ottawa Place (Ottawa)
• The Grove Nursing Home (Arnprior)
• The Rekai Centres’ Wellesley Central Place and Sherbourne Place (Toronto)
• Valleyview Home (St. Thomas)

“We are thrilled that these LTC homes are joining the global community of health organizations dedicated to clinical excellence to improve the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve. We commend these homes for their commitment to optimizing everyday care and outcomes for residents, and know that the program will bring strength to their staff and residents through evidence-based practices and robust staff engagement,” says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun, founder of the BPG and BPSO programs.

Today, representatives from each home are participating in RNAO’s BPSO-LTC orientation launch in Toronto. The full-day event features remarks from Grinspun, greetings from Minister of Long-Term Care Paul Calandra, introductions of each home, networking opportunities, an overview of BPG implementation and presentations from experienced BPSOs.

“We are excited to support and partner with this new cohort of LTC homes joining the BPSO program,” says Janet Chee, associate director of RNAO’s LTC Best Practices Program. “We’re confident that their efforts will result in improved health outcomes and quality of life for their residents and families, as well as inspire their staff and more homes across the province to implement evidence-based practises within their organizations.”

The homes will also use RNAO’s NQuIRE® international data system to monitor progress and evaluate outcomes. After completing a pre-designation period, eligible homes will graduate to designated BPSO status and mentor future BPSO cohorts.

RNAO’s Best Practice Guideline (BPG) Program is funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health. It was envisioned by CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun in 1998 and launched in 1999 to provide the best available evidence for patient care across all health sectors and settings, with more than 50 guidelines developed to date. The Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) program supports service and academic institutions that have formally agreed to implement multiple RNAO BPGs over a three-year period, and evaluate their impact on patients, organizations and health systems. Launched in 2003, the BPSO program now has more than 1,500 BPSOs in Ontario, Canada and internationally.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses’ contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

- 30 -