About
Hamilton Health Sciences is committed to providing an excellent patient experience. The purpose of the Patient Experience Office is to promote patient- and family-centred care. We are here to partner with our patients and our fellow healthcare teams to influence systems, processes, behaviour and communication.
Read the Patient & Family Declaration of Values here.
Your feedback matters to us.
We welcome your feedback about your experience at Hamilton Health Sciences. Whether you have a concern, a compliment, a suggestion, or a question, the staff in the Patient Experience Office are here to support you.
Contact Us
There are several ways to get in touch with the Patient Experience Office:
- Telephone: 905-521-2100 ext. 75240
(if we are unavailable to take your call, please leave a brief message and your call will be returned as soon as possible) - E-mail: patientexperience@hhsc.ca
- In writing:
Office of Patient Experience
Hamilton Health Sciences
1200 Main St W
Hamilton ON L8N 3Z5 - Patient Relations Process Delegate:
This role is responsible for overseeing the Patient Relations process and presenting data about this process to the Quality Committee of the hospital Board twice a year. This role is held by Rosanne Zimmerman, Director Patient Experience & Safety, contact information as above.
Please note: if you are providing feedback for someone other than yourself, Hamilton Health Sciences must have consent of the patient (or their parent/guardian) before disclosing any information to a third party. If the patient is not capable of providing consent, we will require consent from the patient’s Substitute Decision Maker (SDM).
When contacting us by email or letter, please include the following information:
- Details of your experience, including location (unit or clinic), persons involved, and date
- Have you spoken to anyone on the care team about your concern?
- Would you like someone to follow-up with you? If so, what questions would you like answered or what is your hope for resolution?
- Your name and phone number
- If you are not the patient, please add the patient’s name, date of birth or address, and your relationship to the patient
Hours
Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The office is closed on statutory holidays.
Patient Feedback
How Patient Experience Supports You
There may be times when you, a family member or community member needs help to find information or voice a question or concern. If your healthcare team is unable to help you, our Patient Experience staff are available to assist.
We promise to:
- Listen to your comments and feedback in a supportive and respectful manner
- Follow-up with appropriate manager(s) or Chief of Medical Service(s) to inform them of your concern or compliment
- Answer your questions about the services we provide at any of our hospital sites
- Assist you in resolving any dissatisfaction you may have with the way you were treated in collaboration with our managers and/or Chiefs of Medical Service
Please note that we are unable to provide personal health information for any patient without their consent. In most cases, we will need the patient’s permission before following up on concerns about their care.
Sharing Your Concerns
Service Level Agreement
We will acknowledge your e-mail or voicemail message within two (2) business days. We will endeavour to complete the review of your concern as quickly as we can. The time to resolution is related to the complexity of the issue and we will update you accordingly.
We look forward to receiving your feedback.
Patient Experience Surveys
You may be asked before leaving the hospital to complete a Patient Experience Survey. The survey is another way you can help us evaluate the care and service you received during your hospital stay or visit to a hospital clinic. We encourage you to fill out the survey; it is available on paper or on an i-Pad at the hospital.
We value the time and energy you put into your answers and we value your opinions. To provide the best possible care and service for all patients, we need to know what we are doing right and what we may need to improve on. Responses from the surveys are summarized into reports and presented to various groups in the hospital, including our Board of Directors.
Patient and Family Advisors
The Patient Experience Department continues to actively recruit, interview and onboard new Patient and Family Advisor volunteers as many of the opportunities can be supported virtually.
We understand that by listening to the people we serve and partnering with them on policy development, building processes and undertaking project work, we can improve the way we deliver care. By focusing on patient- and family-centred care as a strategic priority, we are building a culture where we are continuously improving the hospital experiences of patients and families. View our Patient and Family Advisor Handbook.
At Hamilton Health Sciences, patient- and family-centred care means:
- Recognizing patients as experts in their own experience and actively partnering with them to improve the quality, safety and experience of their care
- Partnering with patients and families to ensure their voice is part of the conversation at all levels of the organization, from the bedside to the boardroom
Patients and families have a lot to offer. Becoming a patient or family advisor is one way you can participate. If you have been a patient or a family member of a patient at Hamilton Health Sciences and are interested in learning more about opportunities to provide your input as an advisor, see below for more information.
Please feel free to contact the Office of Patient Experience at 905-521-2100 ext. 75240.
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