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Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) Receives Echo Service Accreditation

Congratulations to WAHA’s cardiovascular ultrasound service team, Dr. Kafka, and Ross Norman RDCS AE. PE, on this great service accomplishment for WAHA and the people of James and Hudson Bay.

Jordana Johnston, Meagan Tomatuk, Clinton Rickard, Ross Norman

“Thank you to the team for your dedication in helping us to accredit our echocardio services. This enables us to fulfill our vision in the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Healthcare services as close to home as possible,” said Lynne Innes, President & CEO at WAHA. 

Ontario recently initiated a program to accredit Echo Labs across the province, to help standardize the test as well as improve patient care. WAHA was one of the first to apply for this accreditation program.  The team has created in depth protocols, provided standards for lab facilities, Echo examinations, in addition to the completing all the Reporting and Quality Assurance requirements. All the criterions for accreditations were successfully met.

“It has been my privilege to work at WAHA for the past 17 years doing Echocardiograms for the clients of Weeneebayko Hospital and coastal communities. It has been exciting to see the evolution of this service,” said Rose Norman, WAHA’s Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS), Adult Echocardiogrphy, (AE.), and Pediataric Echocardiography (PE.).

To permanently mark the occasion, a certificate of achievement will be on display in the Family Medicine Department.

In addition to the Echo Services accreditation, WAHA has acquired new ultrasound equipment.  This will allow the technologists to perform contrast studies and will give the reading cardiologists better calculations of patient’s heart functions.

Next on the horizon for WAHA is the expansion of its Echo services to provide Stress Echo tests.

In collaboration with Kingston Health Science Hospital, WAHA has started a POCUS (handheld scanner) program that will allow doctors in emergency situations to use a handheld ultrasound instrument at the bedside, to take cardiac images and be in direct communication with Kingston General Hospital. Dr. Amer Johri is pioneering this amazing project.

Jordana Johnston

“Dr. Kafka, attending Cardiologist and myself have put a great deal of effort into creating a world class Echo Lab at WAHA. We are very proud of these accomplishments!,” said Ross Norman, RDCS, AE, PE.

“We are very proud of the work and accomplishments of our team providing this service. It is a vital resource for our patients and clinicians”, said Jack Hutchinson, VP People, Performance and Clinical Support at WAHA. 

Well done!