KHSC’s ‘exemplary’ standards recognized by Accreditation Canada

Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) has been awarded the highest award possible through Accreditation Canada, the hospital accreditation program.

The Exemplary Standing was earned by KHSC meeting 100 per cent of Accreditation Canada’s Required Organizational Practices (ROPs), critical quality practices that ensure safe, quality patient care, according to a release from KHSC. ROPs are categorized across six safety areas: safety culture, communication, medication use, infection control, work-life/workforce and risk assessment. 

According to the release, accreditation is an ongoing process of assessing health care and social services organizations against rigorous standards of excellence to identify what is being done well and what needs to be improved.

In addition, KHSC scored a 99.3 per cent compliance rate on 3,000-plus best-practice global standards that ensure service excellence in patient safety, medication management, infection prevention and control, leadership and governance, and more, according to the release.

“This is an outstanding result that KHSC staff, physicians and volunteers achieved even as they were challenged like never before by a pandemic, staffing shortages and unprecedented surge and flow issues in our health-care system,” said KHSC President & CEO Dr. David Pichora.

“Whatever comes our way, KHSC is an organization that steps up to the highest standards of safe, quality patient care every day,” he continued. “Passion, pride and commitment to exemplary service are embedded in our DNA, and it is wonderful to be recognized for that commitment and hard work.”

In announcing its decision, Accreditation Canada singled out numerous KHSC strengths, according to the release, including innovation that supports transformative patient care, clear commitment to integrated quality and safety plans, broad involvement of patient experience advisors, solid relationships that support local and regional collaboration, and a remarkable response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has unfailingly served the hospital, community, and region.