#OneEastToronto shares the faces of East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), a group of more than 50 community, primary care, home care, hospital and social services organizations in East Toronto working together to improve the way local residents access and receive care. Meet Matt Wong, manager of professional practice and infection prevention and control lead at VHA Home HealthCare.
“I’ve always been inspired by healthcare providers, whether it be through my own experiences or those of my family members moving along the continuum of care. I find it remarkable that people are willing to dedicate themselves through years of specialized training with the sole intent of helping others recover or get to a place of optimal health. When selecting a career path, I knew I wanted to be part of that team of healthcare professionals working together to make a difference in the lives of their patients. Nursing, in particular, resonated with me as I could always remember the warmth and support provided by nurses during those moments of vulnerability.
As the infection prevention and control lead at VHA Home HealthCare, my responsibilities these days include staying on top of the ever-changing recommendations being released from sources such as the CDC and WHO, as well as our provincial ministries and public health agencies, to inform organizational decisions. I also ensure that personal protective equipment (PPE) meets safety standards during procurement, support vaccine confidence and work with our integrated care team partnerships and ETHP-led COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
As the manager of professional practice, my responsibilities include developing and maintaining the best practice and education portfolio for personal support workers, nurses and rehab professionals. In order to do this, I oversee a small but mighty team of advanced practice nurses, graduate-prepared rehab clinicians and experienced point-of-care providers to design programs that ensure our clinicians can practice as safely and effectively as possible. The integration of evidence-based research to support care comes in many forms: revisions of clinical orientation programs, practice updates to clinical policies and guidelines, designing educational materials and just-in-time learning to meet educational needs, and implementing the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario’s (RNAO) best practice guidelines across the organization.
My role on the Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) Steering Committee for ETHP builds on these responsibilities. As part of this group, I work collaboratively with other leaders from our ETHP organizations to ensure we are implementing the RNAO’s best practice guidelines as one coordinated team. This helps ensure our clinicians are following the most up-to-date evidence-based practices that produce the best health outcomes for our clients and patients.
This collaboration at the Ontario Health Team level allows us to communicate across health care organizations and sectors so we’re working together every step of the way, rather than in silos. I love being able to build connections like this with other members of the healthcare sector. It’s so rewarding when we can come together to find common solutions that will ultimately benefit the health of our communities. I see ETHP as a leading Ontario Health Team in the province and it feels incredible to know that we are part of this transformative change at a systems level.”
Are you a member of East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP) who is interested in being featuring in our #OneEastToronto series or know someone who would be a great fit? Please email Lucy Lau, corporate communications coordinator at ETHP, at lucy.lau@tehn.ca.