Dr Juliana Ameh triumphs in healthcare leadership
The Chief Executive Officer of The Trust Hospital (TTT) since 2019, Dr Juliana Oye Ameh , has seen her strategic goals yield significant results in just four years.
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Recently, her impactful leadership garnered three prestigious awards, acknowledging her remarkable contributions. Dr Ameh’s success story was appreciated last week Thursday and Friday when she bagged three different awards .
She was first conferred with a Distinguished Fellowship at the Africa Women’s Leadership Academy (AWLA) – Ladies in Leadership Awards, an honorary recognition for outstanding endeavours by women business leaders on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
The citation honouring Dr Ameh read: “AWLA is delighted to bestow the Distinguished Fellowship upon Dr Juliana Oye Ameh, the esteemed CEO of Trust Hospital.”
It said the accolade was a testament to her exemplary contributions and steadfast commitment to excellence.
“As the visionary leader of Trust Hospital, Dr Ameh has played a pivotal role in shaping its success. Her strategic initiatives have not only elevated Trust Hospital’s prominence in the healthcare industry but have also set a benchmark for innovation and comprehensive patient care.”
For the icing on the cake, TTT, which is a prominent healthcare services provider and Dr Ameh, received the excellence in Sustainable Medical Practices Award and a Sustainable Patient-Centered Care Model Award at the seventh Sustainability & Social Investment (SSI) Awards held last week Friday, November 17, 2023 at the Kempinski Hotel, Accra.
The dual awards were granted for the hospital’s Pink October breast cancer awareness drive, recognised as the industry gold standard, impacting over a million women and men to date and inspiring similar initiatives. Also acknowledged was the Quality Healthcare Agenda, designed to champion efficient and quality health care.
Dr Ameh (3rd from right) and some members of the management team displaying the various awards and citations received at the Sustainability and Social Investment Awards
Last Monday, The Mirror had an interview with Dr Ameh about the road map to her success at the Labadi Hotel in Accra after a Strategic Business meeting with their mother company, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT). The Trust Hospital was hived off from SSNIT in 2013.
Strategic story
Elaborating on some of the initiatives being undertaken by her since coming into office , Dr Ameh, who is also a Specialist Paediatrician, firstly touched on the Trust Mother and Child Hospital located at Osu in Accra with a specialised focus on maternal and paediatric care. Upon assuming office, she identified the facility's limitations, notably its small size and inadequate capacity.
"I recall referring a patient from our Dome facility to the Mother and Child Hospital in Osu, only to find no available beds even by 6 p.m. This limitation with merely 11 beds was immensely frustrating. It was evident that we urgently required a ward to address these challenges," Dr Ameh said , echoing her colleagues' concerns.
Dr Ameh displaying her citation with some members of staff of The Trust Hospital
In response, Dr Ameh and her team embarked on a quest to identify a suitable space capable of accommodating all patients seeking admission to the Mother and Child Hospital. The initial location at Osu was inadequate. Subsequently, they engaged with Nest Realty, renowned for constructing facilities using shipping containers, leveraging this innovative technology to expand and annex the hospital to address the facility's shortcomings.
The establishment of the Trust Premium Centre stands as another significant milestone, offering a spectrum of specialised services, notably encompassing dialysis and chemotherapy.
Dr Ameh threw light on the necessity of this centre, stemming from flagship programmes like Pink October and Blue November, which primarily focused on screening. Recognising the need for comprehensive care beyond screening, the cancer centre was integrated to provide holistic treatment and care.
Additionally, the Trust Cancer Care Academy plays a pivotal role in continuous professional development for healthcare practitioners. Dr Ameh highlighted its accreditation by all relevant agencies, underscoring its commitment to excellence in training.
One of the buildings built with shipping containers
Discussing strides in meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) patient safety goals, Dr Ameh said the implementation of policies, procedures, and guidelines, significantly enhancing patient safety within the institution had been helpful.
She said in the realm of nursing care, TTT has made notable progress. Dr Ameh said the role of caring in promoting healing and wellness, stressing the importance of building trust between nurses and patients to foster a therapeutic relationship, had been critical. She commended the nursing director, who she described as vibrant and their shared passion for patient safety.
Dr Ameh highlighted the good works of the TTT's Emergency Midwives Services, which ensure safe deliveries in emergency situations, regardless of location.
“The dedicated midwives not only assist during delivery but also provide continuous support to pregnant women from their first month until childbirth, ensuring a comprehensive care journey.”
TTT's Emergency Midwives Services, ensures safe deliveries in emergency situations regardless of location.
Quality care
She stressed the importance of the TTT's establishment of a Hospital Quality Management team along the appointment of a dedicated Quality Focal Person.
"Our focus remains on fostering a robust culture of quality care aligned with the World Health Organisation's seven tenets of healthcare quality."
Dr Ameh mentioned the pivotal role of duty managers in identifying instances of quality care within clinical areas, diligently documenting these occurrences for subsequent improvement measures. Moreover, she underscored the presence of an incident review committee, diligently addressing and rectifying quality of care issues.
"In line with our achievements, we've instituted both a Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and a Risk Management Unit," Dr Ameh added.
According to her, these specialised teams play a pivotal role in not only monitoring the successes and challenges of our strategic goals but also guiding our governance structure and priorities with insightful direction.
Sustainability
Dr Ameh, whose dedication to sustainability earned her an award, told The Mirror that TTT's deliberate approach, influenced their financial, environmental, human resource, and clinical decisions.
"At TTT, we've embraced environmentally sustainable business practices, reaping the benefits of this commitment," she stated.
She further shed light on the meticulous treatment of medical waste through segregation, working closely with the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly to ensure responsible waste management. She added that utilising shipping containers for construction was a strategic choice aimed at minimising waste.
Dr Ameh also emphasised the implementation of energy-saving devices across their hospitals to curtail energy consumption. She stressed their proactive approach in planned preventive maintenance of both medical and non-medical equipment, ensuring sustained patient care without constant purchasing, focusing instead on maintenance practices.
Preventive maintenance
When asked about the concept of preventive maintenance for medical equipment, Dr Ameh described it as a routine process involving the inspection and servicing of medical devices explaining that “this regular upkeep ensures their optimal condition and proper functionality”.
"The purpose of this maintenance is to avert equipment failures and breakdowns that could otherwise cause delays or even create hazardous situations during patient care," she explained. Dr Ameh highlighted that preventive maintenance significantly extended the lifespan of medical equipment, leading to long-term cost savings and resource conservation.
Educational Background
Dr Ameh is a Senior Specialist Paediatrician and received her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in Nigeria in 2000.
Dr Juliana Oye Ameh displaying one of the citations
She later pursued postgraduate training in Paediatrics at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. She has extensive experience in paediatrics, neonatal and child health.Dr Ameh has been involved in several health developmental projects such as national health policies, protocols and training manuals in Ghana. She has been a member of the West African College of Physicians in the Faculty of Paediatrics since 2006.She holds a postgraduate certificate, with distinction, in Business Administration and a certificate in Health Administration and Management all secured in 2012 at GIMPA.
Prior to joining The Trust Hospital Company Limited (TTHCL), Dr Ameh was the Medical Superintendent at Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Authority (LEKMA) Hospital where she set up a thriving health delivery model in the hospital and made an enormous contribution to the steady rise of the hospital.
Writer’s E-mail: [email protected]
