Creating and sustaining value: building a culture of continuous improvement.

In 2011, the Toronto East General Hospital (TEGH) began its journey towards developing a culture of continuous improvement. TEGH evolved to an organization-wide improvement system through a commitment to fiscal responsibility, practical innovation, team-based performance management, and daily management systems. This culture enabled the TEGH to achieve the lowest Emergency Department wait times for admitted patients in its local health integration network and reduce length of stay for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 46%.