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Message from the President and CEO, January 30, 2008


As you know from previous messages, we have been very focused over the past six months on looking in the mirror, evaluating what we like and what we want to strengthen. One of the significant changes we have embarked upon is to introduce a new organizational approach . Well I am pleased to say we are well on our way in our journey to to implementation and sustained excellence in our field that is unrivalled. I believe that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Like any leading organization, we are openly confronting our strengths as well as our weaknesses and we are identifying important opportunities to do better. We are re-examining how we work together to share ideas and to make decisions in order to make progress. We are re-thinking how we will know, in other words measure, how we are performing in order to use this information to help us to do even better. We are expending more effort on quality and patient safety because we know that this is so important and must always be a high priority. We are trying to understand how to balance doing a great job on our campus while also aspiring to make an impact globally. Pheww!! Quite a full plate for an organization that already has plenty to do. And, to try to do all of this in a fiscal environment that presents so many difficulty challenges. But, we are now quickly on our way and we must not look back.

We now have a transition plan in the works that will move us ultimately into full implementation of our new organizational model (please see the attached chart) , a Baycrest tailored version of program management. We have focused our discussions on identifying what absolutely needs to be in place before we move to Day 1 of the new approach. Day 1 is the point in our plan when everyone who is directly affected by the changes assumes new positions and new reporting relationships under the new organizational chart which I have attached. That is not to say that on that date everything we need to decide and complete will be done—there will be a great deal left to decide and implement as part of what is clearly a transition path (remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint). However, as long as everyone knows their functions and reporting relationships we can take that one significant next step forward down the implementation path of our new organizational structure. So when is that day? We have now determined that it will be February 11.

Through recent discussions and a lot of careful deliberation, we have made great progress in refining titles so they are less confusing, defining reporting relationships more clearly and articulating the various functions and responsibilities of our leadership staff. Given this progress, we believe that we are truly ready to move to Day 1 of program management on February 11. Here are some of the important highlights that you as Family members should know about :

  • Our leadership team at the VP level is now all appointed with the exception of the VP, Medical Services (Dr David Conn is in an acting role; the search for a permanent placement is well underway) and the VP, Clinical & Residential Programs (Dr. Conn and Dr. Joy Richards are sharing this in an acting role; we have assembled a search committee and have selected an Executive Search Firm).
  • We have made some changes to the original titles we announced back in December, specifically within the VP, Clinical & Residential Program portfolio. We have moved to title of Director and Medical Director for the senior leadership positions of the Hospital; LTC (Home); Clinics, Community and Day Programs. Each of the Programs within the Hospital will have a Program Director and Medical Program Director. In the Home, each of the floors will have a Unit Director. We continue to work on our ambulatory programs and clinics to refine their structure and corresponding administrative leadership.
  • Directors are working on defining the reporting relationships for the OT, PT, TR and other professions who dedicate time and effort to the Hospital, Home and our ambulatory and community programs. They are working on identifying the optimal “Home Base” reporting relationship for these staff. This is complicated, but very important and will be complete by February 11.
  • Another very important step is to ensure our administrative support personnel know who they will be working with and reporting to. This too is a very big step and a team is facilitating a process that will ensure that as of February 11, everyone knows either who they are permanently working with or on an interim basis, who they report to until the work of reassignment is complete.
  • We have designed a process to implement operational changes such as space allocation and move processes, changes to identification badges, updating of on-line directories etc. That process has been well defined and will now begin to be implemented.

While this is significant change, if we all step step back and consider all that we are doing at this time—implementing a new organizational model; identifying key performance improvements to respond to our Review data— what this rolls up into is a framework for excellence that gives us the best possible footing to move to ensure that excellence and innovation continue to be hallmarks of Baycrest and that it translates into the best possible care and support for clients and families. We must not lose sight of this as we continue to move forward step by step in this important, but at times intense journey.

Let me again close by thanking all families for the on-going support provided to our team as we have begun to travel down this path.

Bill Reichman

Baycrest President and CEO