The following text is the caption for the image

Representatives from Sinai Health accepted a Certificate of Honorary Commendation at Health Achieve. From left to right are: Marian Walsh, Former Associate Chief Executive Officer and Chief Transformation Officer, Sinai Health and former CEO, Bridgepoint Active Healthcare; David Denison, former Vice Chair, Sinai Health Board and Former Chair, Bridgepoint Active Healthcare Board; Brent Belzberg, Chair, Sinai Health Board; Catherine Gualton, Chief Executive Officer of Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC); Jane Merkley, Executive Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive & Chief Operating Officer; Paula Blackstien-Hirsch, Member, Sinai Health Board and Chair of the Quality Committee; and Carey Lucki, Chief Executive Officer, Circle of Care and Vice President, Sinai Health.

There’s no step-by-step instruction manual for amalgamating two health-care organizations. It’s a complex process. In order to achieve goals of delivering better, more integrated care, leaders have to quickly establish a strong foundation in new governance and organizational structures, reporting and metrics, all while taking into account the unique culture, values, structure and strengths of each organization.

The successful amalgamation of our organizations in 2015 was recognized this fall with Sinai Health System being awarded a Certificate of Honorary Commendation at this year’s Health Achieve Conference, the Ontario Hospital Association’s signature event. Sinai Health’s Board of Directors and executive leaders were recognized for the vision and oversight that successfully brought together Bridgepoint Active Healthcare, the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital and Circle of Care. Only two organizations from across Ontario are selected to receive the governance awards each year.

“This is a truly great result and well-deserved recognition for the vision, foresight and oversight of our board and executive leadership,” said Brent Belzberg, Board Chair, Sinai Health System. “Sinai Health is well-poised to serve as an exemplar for integrated care delivery.”

The OHA highlighted some of the ways amalgamation has resulted in better, more integrated care for our patients, including direct admissions to Bridgepoint from Mount Sinai Hospital’s Emergency Department; the system-wide hip fracture pathway; and faster turn-around time for electro-cardiogram (ECG) test results for Bridgepoint patients. The creation of an Office of Integration and Transformation was cited as a novel governance approach that led to a successful implementation of integration.