The Shoulder Centre Model – Innovation in Public Healthcare
How can accurate, fast care for shoulder injuries be provided in weeks when we are accustomed to waiting months or years for sub specialized care in Canada? The Shoulder Centre model works by creating a community of care both inside our walls at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital and in the surrounding area where our patients live. We are doing this by creating a knowledge exchange between primary care providers in the community such as family doctors and nurse practitioners and training allied health professionals at Rouge Valley Ajax Pickering hospital. These practitioners will become Shoulder Experts.
Who is a Shoulder Expert?
Shoulder Experts are care providers who are affiliated with and trained by The Shoulder Centre, who provide care for shoulder problems in their community. The Shoulder Centre provides guidance, training and mentorship to all interested providers who want to treat shoulder problems. Some Shoulder Experts work within the physical space of The Shoulder Clinic but others are embedded within their own communities and provide care for patietns close to their home. All Shoulder Experts will have quick access to the tools they need to diagnose and treat all shoulder problems. Our goal is to build a Shoulder Care Community that improves shoulder care through evidence-based approaches, collaboration, and innovation.
Where is the The Shoulder Centre?
The Shoulder Centre is located at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital, however, the bricks and mortar fall short of describing the community of care concept that defines us. The Shoulder Centre reaches out into the Central-East LHIN wherever Shoulder Experts practice. We plan to provide the same access to all patients no matter where they live through the development and impliementation of electronic resources to improve communication with primary care providers. Surgeries, when necessary, are performed at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering Hospital and Rouge Valley Centenary Hospital.