Windsor man's death brings change with 'major impact' to healthcare system

The death of Matthew Mahoney has created change in the Windsor health care community, including a new follow-up system that healthcare leaders say will make a major impact.

Mahoney, 33, was fatally shot by Windsor police near the McDonald's at Wyandotte and Goyeau Streets. The Director of Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is reviewing the investigation into his death. 

Mahoney was struggling with an extreme and complex case of schizophrenia, along with some other mental health issues at the time of his death, according to his brother Michael Mahoney.

The Windsor Regional Hospital  (WRH) completed a report in May that included recommendations to improve the health care system in Windosr-Essex for people like Matthew Mahoney. 

"It's a heartbreaking occasion whenever we have to come together and review a case where harm befell one of our patients," said Jonathan Foster, director of outpatient mental health programs at Windsor Regional Hospital.

"There is change that's come from it," said Foster.

Multiple recommendations made

Mahoney's brother Michael shared the recommendations, as part of a Quality of Care Information Protection Act (QCIPA) report, with CBC News.

The recommendations include:

• Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) providing names of the top 10 high-risk patients in the community to Windsor Regional Hospital.
• A working group to develop a pathway for high-risk and low-insight patients in the community.
• Opportunity for Windsor Regional Hospital to be provided access to Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) patient health records.

"There have been completion of some of those things, but that doesn't mean the work is done," said Foster, who said the biggest change is the relationship with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and Transitional Stability Centre. 

Foster said they've redesigned the referral process for those agents and have looked at ensuring there's contact with patients after they leave the hospital. 

24 hour follow-up will have 'major impact'

"Patients who are discharged from our emergency department who may have some complex needs or we want to make sure that they're supported — our nurses are calling them within 24 hours to do a check-in," said Foster. 

Robert Moroz, the integrated director with HDGH and CMHA, said the follow-up is "imperative" and will have a "major impact."

"I think that's something that shows the system's responding. But also because the system's responding, often people will follow through with treatment because they think the system is actually caring about their welfare."

Moroz, who reviewed the QCIPA report with Foster, said the exchange of information in a timely manner is a key part of the developing relationship. 

"One thing we looked at was more thorough information sharing and more timely information sharing so that CMHA can also follow-up with those cases," said Moroz. 

Foster said they've also made progress on the recommendation involving access to patient data.

"Our nurses in the emergency department can open the record and they can see where the most recent contacts have been, whether it's been with HDGH or WRH," said Foster.

'Struggle' to access treatment programs

Neither would speculate on what these changes would have done for Mahoney, but Foster said they've already noticed results with patients.

Foster said the 24-hour call has been a huge success and have helped some people.

"And the team that do that work, they are the ones that just are ecstatic when that happens. They hear the benefit that it has for their patients."

Even though this work will continue to help patients, Foster said there is still a need for more resources in the community.

"One of our struggles though continues to be that while we can do all of this work internally and in partnership to work our systems more efficiently, we continue to struggle to find timely access to treatment programs in the community," he said.