No Patient Left Behind

Constitution

The Grant Innes No Patient Left Behind Endowment Fund

Mission

To support the development and implementation of health system innovations that improve patient access to appropriate (right care, right place) care in emergency departments, hospitals or communities. To be recognized as a system improvement catalyst, policy advocate, and trusted information source for health leaders.

Objective

The purpose of the No Patient Left Behind fund is to provide annual peer-reviewed funding awards to develop and implement promising access-related health system innovations, particularly those that incorporate concepts of patient care accountability or accountability framework implementations. High priority grant proposals could fall into several categories (see Funding priority areas).

Funding

Funding will arise through the No patient left behind endowment fund. Initial funds would come from our primary benefactor and from a donation program at the time of my death. The fund will award annual system improvement grants that are divisible based on the quality and potential impact of the applications (as determined by the board or a grant review committee). Successful grants would be awarded at the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) annual conference; they would acknowledge the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI)/CAEP/“No Patient Left Behind” collaboration and specifically name the Grant Innes “No Patient Left Behind” fund and its mission. Growing awareness of the fund through CAEP, SREMI, the oversight committee, and a “No Patient Left Behind” giving campaign will hopefully lead to ongoing donations from the community.

Definitions

“The fund” refers to the Grant Innes No Patient Left Behind Endowment fund.

The Oversight Committee

The oversight committee will collectively provide leadership and vision for the endowment fund, set and monitor progress towards goals and objectives, and engage in strategic decision-making for the fund. They will determine how and to whom annual awards are distributed. If necessary, they will modify the fund’s endowment policies, award criteria and fund distribution to assure maximum impact.

The committee may choose to form ad hoc expert panels for specific tasks, such developing a multimedia strategy and a policy resource library to support EM change leaders. They should establish strategic alliances and strategies that involve nursing, allied health and non-EM physician leaders in supporting system change. Key collaborations will ideally include the Canadian Medical Association, the National Emergency Nurses Association (NENA), hospital and health leadership organizations, provincial medical and EM organizations, community and philanthropic groups, ministries of health and others. The committee should leverage effectiveness through collaboration but avoid redundancy with other organizations.

Committee Composition

The committee will have 7 to 11 members. The chair is responsible for supervising other members. The vice-chair will draft board meeting agendas and carry out the duties of the chair if the chair is unable. A member at large will oversee and update the application database. The secretary will, in collaboration with CAEP-SREMI, schedule board meetings, manage board correspondence, take meeting minutes, and prepare an annual summary report that incorporates meeting minutes, a list of proposed and funded project awards, and annual SREMI reports. Sherry Stackhouse will serve as Grant Innes’ proxy and a permanent board member.

Obligations of CAEP

To recognize award winners, the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians will assume all costs for two nights’ accommodation at the conference hotel, round-trip travel to and from the conference according to CAEP’s travel guidelines, and free full-conference registration.

Obligations of SHF (the Sinai Health Foundation)

SREMI will provide oversight and management of the Endowment Fund, issue charitable donation receipts and provide a yearly report of the Endowment Fund to the Stevenson family and CAEP.