Download the Final Project Report.
Building on the momentum of
The Flo Collaborative, CHQI launched a strategy in spring 2009 to spread successful change ideas to organizations beyond the original partners. This spread strategy involved 26 partnerships of acute care hospitals and CCACs participating across 9 of the 14 LHINs.
Based on the experience of the original partnerships and evidence from the literature about successful strategies for spread, CHQI provided tools and training to widen the reach of this proven quality improvement initiative. Flo addressed the processes of care delivery so that transitions from acute hospitals to other settings were faster and smoother for patients, families and staff.
Flo Spread was comprised of the following elements:
- One three-day quality improvement training workshop (PDF) for representatives of all participating organizations.
- One two-day diagnostic session per LHIN to assist participating partnerships to identify their key opportunities and priorities for redesign. Participants used value stream mapping to identify waste, delays, and bottlenecks in their current care processes. The sessions involved up to six front-line staff (e.g., nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, CCAC case manager, etc.), the project leads, executive sponsors, and the LHIN coordinator.
- Ongoing support from CHQI through email, webinars, teleconferences, and provision of a technology-based platform for virtual networking. Steering committees formed at the LHIN and partnership levels helped maintain momentum, monitor progress, and ensure that the partnerships were on track for success. Project leads and executive sponsors from each partnership were asked to share reports with the LHIN for accountability purposes and with CHQI to allow CHQI consultants to support their improvement work.
For more information on this project, please download the Final Project Report.
Project Lead: Susan Taylor