Home Care Steps® Pathway System and Case Management Model Wins Award For Quebec Agency

A small rural health centre in Tèmiscaming, Quèbec, Canada has shown that the implementation of a case management model along with the Home Care Steps® Protocols of VNA First within its home care program provides better quality of care in a more cost effective manner.

In fact, results from the first year of operation demonstrated that the nurses were able to increase their work load by being better organized, ensuring better continuity of care and spending less time on charting. They were able to decrease the length of stay in hospitals by 1.31 days because of the way the program is organized and better access to their services. During the year 2000, 92.9% of patients admitted in the program were able to avoid hospitalization, ER visits or unplanned visits with their family physician between nursing visits.

The Tèmiscaming Health Centre has been recognized by both the Order of Nurses of Quèbec and the Ministry of Health of Quèbec for its innovation and quality of services within its home care program.

In the photo, starting by left, Jacynthe Bérubé, Director of Nursing, Carole Lahaie, Head of Home Care Program, Josée Carrière, Case Manager, M. Gilbert Barrette, president of the Regional Board of Health & Social Services of Abitibi-Témiscamingue