From an Island Health memo dated May 8, 2024:
“We are writing today to share new information on the activation dates for IHealth at the South Island Tertiary Hospitals, the South Island Surgical Centre, and Gorge Road Health Center; as well as the implementation of Laboratory system updates at NRGH.
As teams have been working to complete the final sequence of steps prior to the planned activation dates of May 24, 2024 at VGH, the Surgical Centre, and Gorge Road; and June 8, 2024 at RJH, we recently learned there is a need for additional time to complete the technical routines required to load the new functionality and order set content into our Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Routine pre-activation testing of the processes involved in safely taking aspects of the system offline as part of the downtime required to load the new Laboratory workflows and order set content was completed on May 1, and repeated on May 6. As above, the testing highlighted a need for additional days to finalize the scripts involved prior to go-live.
In updating the project schedule to reflect the additional days required, we consulted with the medical and clinical leaders at RJH and VGH. While only a short delay is required to complete the technical work, there is a need to shift the activation date for VGH until after the summer to ensure a fully staffed and supported change experience.
Several considerations drove the decision, including risks related to undertaking an implementation this large during July and August when staffing levels are normally lower, required lead times for individuals and teams to plan for the commitments required during go-live, and the risks of concurrent go-live implementation at both sites at the same time.
As the South Island Surgical Centre and Gorge Road are closely paired with VGH, we are moving the activation date for these two sites to align with VGH.
As a result, the EHR system changes will be introduced at NRGH on May 24, 2024, and followed by the full activation of RJH as currently planned on June 8, 2024. In consultation with VGH and RJH site clinical and medical leaders, the VGH, Gorge Road, and Surgical Centre activations have been scheduled for September 14, 2024.
We want to acknowledge and thank you all for the incredible work undertaken across the organization, and specifically at the South Island Tertiary Sites, to prepare for these activations. We also want to express our understanding and sincere apology to those of you impacted by the change in date for VGH and connected sites.
This change in activation dates extends the planned timeframe between the go-lives of the two tertiary sites in Greater Victoria. Teams have shared the critical importance of ensuring the safety of patient transfers between the sites during this period. We are committed to ensuring the workflows and supports are in place to ensure patient safety and support staff and medical staff.
In our commitment to ensuring timely and transparent communications, we are providing this update at the earliest opportunity in our planning for the new date. The IHealth and VGH site clinical and medical leaders will host virtual town halls in the coming days to answer questions. In the meantime, please also reach out to your leader to discuss what this change means for you and your team.
We thank you in advance for your understanding, dedication, and support to ensure a safe and supported activation of these critical new enablers for quality and safety, and modernization of our health system.