toh

September 4, 2013 — In October 2012, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) restructured its Sexual Assault Partner Abuse Care Program (SAPACP) to include a nurse practitioner, Tara Leach. The addition of a Nurse Practitioner added support clinically to both our patients, as well as our nursing staff. The change has proven to be a positive one for our program and Ms. Leach will continue in her position.

Today, the Hospital is announcing further important changes to the program that will benefit patients. In an effort to provide the highest quality of care, TOH will have its SAPACP nursing team work independently, and with an advanced skill. To meet this goal we will recruit emergency/critical care nurses with multiple years of experience, who will be dedicated to the specific patients who fall under this program.

This change will ensure that TOH provides advanced care to the survivors of violence who need our program. The new, specialized nurses will be trained within the emergency department, allowing for increased screening and recognition of patients who require this care and may be afraid to disclose how they were injured.  This, in turn, will help us to provide better care for all patients, not just those are actively seeking this specialty service.

“I am confident that these changes will allow us to provide the highest standards of care,” said Mike Tierney, Vice-President responsible for The Ottawa Hospital Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program. “I look forward to seeing this new team develop.”

Media Contact:
Hazel Harding
Communications Advisor
Email: hharding@toh.on.ca
Tel.: 613-737-8460