Accreditation
Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is committed to quality of care and service. Participation in the accreditation process is a key action by which we measure our clinical and operational performance against established healthcare provider standards. It enables us to identify opportunities to improve patient care and service, in a way that is transparent and holds us accountable to our communities.
Accreditation Canada's accreditation program - developed over 50 years - has a high degree of recognition in the international healthcare community. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, for example, stipulates that residency programs will operate only in Accreditation Canada accredited facilities.
The Accreditation Canada approach has evolved into an ongoing, interactive 36-month Qmentum cycle that aligns well with our philosophy of continuous quality improvement. Our 2008 Final Reports (HHS and St. Peter's) represented the culmination of 36 months' work - and the beginning of the current Accreditation Canada improvement cycle. After responding to the findings in the preliminary 2008 Forecast Reports, both HHS and St. Peter's were awarded "Accredited" final decisions by Accreditation Canada. Recently, a growing number of healthcare organizations have failed to achieve this award - the highest level of recognition granted by Accreditation Canada. To be fully "Accredited", without "Condition" or "Report", all patient safety-related criteria (ROPs) must be met. Given today's increasing pressures and imperatives placed upon healthcare organizations to provide safe and efficient care and services, being recognized as meeting and successfully integrating national quality standards with other ongoing improvement efforts to better serve our communities is a remarkable accomplishment.
2011 On-Site Survey - May 29th to June 3rd
All HHS hospital sites (and our West End Urgent Care Centre) will be visited by Accreditation Canada surveyors. They will talk to patients, families, HHS staff, physicians, and volunteers, as well as some of our partner organizations. They will also observe patient care and other work practices, review documentation, and evaluate our physical environment. Surveyors will visit both clinical and non-clinical areas. We again look forward to sharing what we have accomplished with the Accreditation surveyors, and to sharing the results of this Accreditation cycle with our community.
If you have questions or comments, please contact:
Heather Pullen
Manager, Public Relations & Communications
Hamilton Health Sciences
(905) 521-2100 Ext. 75939
pullenh@hhsc.ca
Attachments:
Accreditation Report - Hamilton Health Sciences (February 2009) (PDF)
Accreditation Report - St. Peter's Hospital (February 2009) (PDF)