Hospital launches community engagement for new strategic plan

The Woodstock Hospital is holding community engagement events as part of its new strategic plan process.  One was recently held at the Woodstock Public Library where Jennifer Lynch (left), Director of Strategic Planning, Community Engagement, and Patient Experience, met Lynne Moyer, the facility’s former Director of Housekeeping, MDRD, Portering and Materials Management. (Woodstock Hospital photo)

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Woodstock Hospital is inviting staff, patients, families, and community members to participate in shaping its new three-year strategic plan.

When completed, it will help guide the hospital’s priorities and address the changing healthcare landscape. As part of the engagement phase, the facility has launched the ‘Share Your Voice, Shape Your Care’ campaign to gather input.

"This plan builds on the strong foundation our dedicated staff has created through their unwavering commitment to exceptional people-centred care,” says Woodstock Hospital President and CEO Perry Lang. "By listening to the valuable insights of our community, we can ensure our future direction aligns with the evolving needs of Woodstock and Oxford County residents while enhancing the care and services we provide."

Director of Strategic Planning, Community Engagement, and Patient Experience Jennifer Lynch has been collaborating with the hospital’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee to host engagement sessions. “We’ve been visiting several organizations, events, and public spaces, such as the library, to hear what matters most to our community. Healthcare is something we all value, and you never know when you or a loved one may need care at Woodstock Hospital. We encourage everyone to take a moment to complete the survey and help shape the future of care at your community hospital.”

The hospital has held a few in-person community engagement sessions and has more coming up including one this Saturday at the Woodstock Farmer’s Market from 7 a.m. to noon and another at Woodingford Lodge on the afternoon of Oct. 17.

“We are still in the early days of our engagement. We are hitting long-term care homes, Fanshawe College and a lot of high school students. We haven’t had time yet to analyze our data and responses yet.”

Lang explained the hospital formed an internal committee of about 20 staff members where the plan was launched.

“They represent a cross-section of the services provided at the hospital plus there are patient advisory committee members on it so it is a very diverse group,” said Lang. “They worked together on the questions we are asking those in the community. We will have a number of internal engagement sessions including the board, management group and frontline staff.”

Once the plan is completed it will be shared with the community and stakeholders involved in the process. Lang explained part of the strategic plan is also to develop a tactical plan.

“It is really the operational piece of executing the objectives and we will also have that available on our website once it is approved and we will start tracking and measuring against that tactical plan initiative.”

Many organizations hire an outside consultant to produce a strategic plan but Lynch feels her being at the hospital for as long as she has provided an advantage.

“I have been with the organization since 2008 and part of my role is community engagement and engaging with patients is a huge piece of being in this position.”

Lynch added she, the vice president and patient advisor regularly interviews patients as part of collecting real-time data.

“It is a little different than the data we will get for the strategic plan.”

Posters with QR codes linked to the survey will also be available throughout the hospital and in community spaces. To learn more, please visit our website https://www.woodstockhospital.ca/strategic-plan/.

The hospital will share the findings from the community engagement phase and release the new strategic plan likely in the first quarter of 2025 with an implementation date in early April.