GUELPH, ON, Sept. 28 – This past weekend at a national conference, the team of Hospitalist physicians at Guelph General Hospital (GGH) won the Canadian Society of Hospital Medicine Award for Clinical Excellence for 2009. The award recognized all of GGH Hospitalists and the Hospitalist On Call physicians (HOCs) who look after admitted GGH inpatients.

“Although this award is usually given to an individual, I am certain the teamwork of the Hospitalists and HOCs was a compelling factor in the decision made by the awards committee,” said Richard Ernst, President and CEO.

In Canada, the Hospitalist model of patient care is a rapidly changing area of specialization.

“We are fortunate at Guelph General to have the support of our administration to continue to develop our program,” said Dr. Cary Shafir, Chief Hospitalist. “By measuring the quality of care we deliver, we have been able to identify our successes, our areas for improvement and in the end understand how we can provide the best quality patient care to our community.”

It’s a remarkable achievement given the short time the program has been in place at the Hospital according to Dr. Jennifer Caspers, the Hospital’s acting Chief of Staff.

“In just a few years, our Hospitalist team has gone from its conception to being tops in the country,” she said. “This unparalleled achievement is a testament to both the commitment of the team members and the leadership of its departmental chiefs.”

The awards committee evaluated each nominee using the following criteria:

• Outstanding contributions to patient care
• Advancement of clinical knowledge
• Professionalism
• Leadership in medicine
• Excellence in practice management

“These criteria show the importance of this program not only to our patients but also to the team of direct caregivers and support staff who complement the work of our physicians,” explained Ernst.