March 21, 2012 – Ornge’s senior leadership and Board of Directors welcomes today’s report by the Auditor General of Ontario and is committed to moving forward with its recommendations.
The Auditor General’s recommendations will help Ornge better fulfill its mission of saving lives by transporting Ontario’s most critically ill and injured patients, said Interim President and CEO Ron McKerlie.
“We appreciate the hard work performed by the auditors and the valuable insight they have provided, which will help map out the future of Ontario’s air ambulance program,” McKerlie said. “We are committed to working with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to ensure improvements are made in a timely fashion.”
The value-for-money audit of Ornge began in late 2010. Today’s report highlighted a number of shortcomings in the delivery of air ambulance service, and Ornge is now working to make improvements. The new leadership at Ornge has already put in place a number of measures to improve patient care, governance and oversight. These measures include the appointment of a new Board of Directors, the formation of a committee under the direction of Ornge Board member Dr. Barry McLellan to address patient safety issues, a strengthened on-scene response process, the implementation of an interim solution to improve the configuration of the medical interiors of the helicopters, and a thorough internal review of all policies and procedures.
“On behalf of the Ornge Board of Directors, we want our patients and the people of Ontario to know that everyone at Ornge – from frontline paramedics, pilots, communications officers to corporate staff who support their mission – is dedicated to making this a model organization as it relates to accountability, transparency and integrity of operations. We remain focused on the well-being of the patients we serve,” added Ian W. Delaney, Board Chairman.