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Investigation at Stevenson Memorial Hospital reports concerns over leadership and quality of care

October 3, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

A final report of an investigation into Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) reveals several concerns about governance, leadership, quality of care, operations, and financial performance.

In February 2024, the Ministry of Health appointed an investigator, Janice Skot, to take a look at the operations in the hospital. The investigation took four months to complete.

Skot is a former top administrator for the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. She was assisted by four experts in their fields in compiling the 77-page report. 

During the initial phase of the investigation, the investigator held meetings with the Stevenson board chair, vice chair, and CEO, attended board meetings, attended committee meetings, and conducted individual interviews. The investigator also met with the president, vice president of corporate services, chief financial officer, vice president of clinical services and the chief nursing executive. The investigator also received an overview of the capital redevelopment project and its status.

The second phase of the investigation included the investigation team meeting with SMH staff. An anonymous survey was issued with 108 responses received.

The team met with more than 150 people and conducted 82 interviews.

The report includes several quotes from local residents who expressed concerns about the level of care at the hospital.

The report summarizes the hospital’s struggles to provide safe, accessible care while making the best use of limited taxpayer dollars.

The report continues, “The hospital has suffered a series of disruptive changes, a decline in organizational performance, a culture of mistrust and fear, revolving-door leadership, chaotic destabilization, and significant financial challenges.” This includes “A lack of transparency and strategic thinking at the senior leadership level.”

The report lists several examples of unrest and uncertainty at the hospital, including a chief of staff resigning early, followed by a second chief of staff also leaving prematurely.

“The Board of Directors of SMH is an enthusiastic, well-meaning group of volunteers committed to its local hospital and community,” the report states. “However, in the opinion of the Investigation Team, the board demonstrates weak governance practices, has not been made aware of the hospital’s true operational status, does not provide the monitoring and oversight necessary to provide quality care and financial stability, and has not demonstrated an ability to lead change.”

The report goes on to say the biggest concerns at SMH are safety and quality of care.

“The biggest worry, however, is safety and quality of care at the hospital, which does not have an embedded ‘culture of safety’ for patients or its workforce. Quality is threatened by the lack of a structured quality framework, inadequate staffing, and urgent safety issues. The Investigation Team is so concerned about safety that it recommends immediate external reviews for two key areas of care – obstetrics and diagnostic imaging. Other clinical areas were also identified with serious risks. Alarm bells were rung so loudly about the quality of care at the hospital, that the Minister of Health, through an Order in Council, appointed an investigator in February 2024.”

The report recommended immediate formal external reviews of obstetrical and diagnostic imaging services.

The report also makes several recommendations going forward, such as integration with a larger hospital that can share resources, expertise, and experience. In the past, SMH leadership and governors have resisted this model.

The report says the Minister of Health should recommend that the Lieutenant Governor in Council appoint a hospital supervisor for SMH with the full powers of a supervisor under the Public Hospitals Act.

On Sept. 27, the Ontario government appointed Eric Hanna as the supervisor for the hospital.

He is the former president and CEO of Arnprior Regional Health and interim president and CEO at Campbellford Memorial Hospital. 

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