High occupancy rates and volumes of long-stay patients continue to be a challenge across Nova Scotia Health. A standardized, organization-wide process for Alternate Level of Care (ALC) designation has been identified as a strategy to help understand and manage patient flow pressures.
The ALC Designation Project is designed to standardize the ALC designation process in all acute care settings within Nova Scotia Health.
Through the promotion of accurate and consistent ALC designation, documentation, and reporting the project aims to facilitate agile, operational decision-making by providing a better understanding of our patient population and patient flow pressures.
This will help improve patient flow and service planning by:
A standard process for ALC designation implemented through the ALC Designation Project will have the following benefits for clinical staff, physicians, and patients: