Staff Teams Gear Up to Ensure ‘Operational Readiness’

Building a hospital is about more than months of construction, hundreds of workers and hundreds of thousands of bricks; it is the planning – the work of front-line workers all the way to senior management and Board Members – that ensures the new building is equipped, staffed and able to meet the needs of the community.

In order to prepare for the move into Markham Stouffville Hospital’s expansion in 2013, staff at all levels have been involved in the “operational readiness” process. Operational readiness includes all the activities involved in planning for a new space – both preparing the physical space (equipment, location of supplies, etc.), as well as how staff will work in the new space (workflow, walking patterns, etc.).

To get an idea of what is involved in planning, one needs to look no further than their own home. Think of moving from one house to another. There is more to prepare for than simply the moving day, which has challenges of its own. There are many factors to consider:

• How will the family function in the new space?
• How will they move throughout the house?
• How much space will there be for furniture?
• Will the kitchen layout allow the family members to prepare meals without bumping into one another?
• How long will it take to get to the crying baby’s room?

With so much to consider for the hospital’s expansion planning, move and renovations, 31 teams have been created, representing every unit/system across the hospital. All of these teams will be working together over the coming year to make sure their plans are integrated and thorough.