In December 2024 OH-CCO (Ontario Health-Cancer Care Ontario) decided to audit community cancer treatment sites across Ontario to identify opportunities for improvement regarding systemic treatment administration. Systemic* treatment administration refers to the delivery of medications either intravenously (IV), by pill, or by injection that spreads throughout the whole body to treat cancer.
CMH underwent a Systemic Treatment Delivery Quality and Safety Assessment by our Regional Cancer centre WRHN (formerly, Grand River Hospital). “Like every other community hospital in Ontario, we were assessed by a team of pharmacists, nurses, educators and administrators to assess our practices surrounding safe handling, preparation and administration of treatment as well as our staff education, training practices, policies and patient education,” says Sandra Bakewell, Manager Medical Day Care and Ambulatory Care.
“Everything was looked at – how we order, verify, prepare, dispense, transport and administer treatment. Ultimately looking at if our team of nurses, physicians, pharmacists and pharmacy techs all meet the standards of care for safe, patient-centred cancer treatment," Sandra explained, describing the deep dive into the “nuts and bolts” of how Medical Day Care delivers systemic therapy, boiling down to the priority of quality treatment and safety of all.
The results were delivered in March 2025 and CMH met all 32 criteria.
From the physicians and pharmacy team to our dedicated oncology nurses, educators and management this achievement is a testament to their commitment to patient safety and excellence in care. Thank you to all for your dedication to ensure that our hospital meets and exceeds the highest standards.
*Types of systemic therapy: chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Laymen terms still use chemotherapy, but cancer treatments include many types that vary based on the cancer being treated.
