Northumberland Hills Hospital receives accreditation with ‘exemplary standing’ from national body

Northumberland Hills Hospital President and CEO Susan Walsh. /NHH photo

By reporter Natalie Hamilton

Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) is celebrating the achievement of the highest possible designation for an accredited organization through the national hospital accreditation program.

Accreditation Canada recently issued a formal decision letter congratulating the team at the hospital, which serves west Northumberland, for achieving “accreditation with exemplary standing.”

This is the second consecutive time that NHH has achieved this designation.

Accreditation Canada is described as an independent, not-for-profit organization that sets standards for quality and safety in healthcare and accredits health organizations in Canada and around the world. 

“I am extremely proud of our staff, physicians, midwives and volunteers, inclusive of our board, foundation, auxiliary and patient and family advisory council,” said Susan Walsh, NHH president and CEO, in a statement.

“This designation is the direct result of their hard work and unwavering commitment to exceptional patient care even during a time of increased demand for our services and fiscal restraints in the health-care sector. I extend my congratulations and gratitude to the entire NHH team for showing up for our community each and every day.”

Every four years, the hospital invites a team of Accreditation Canada surveyors to NHH to evaluate the hospital on more than 2,700 standards related to quality, safety, efficiency and inclusion. The hospital participated in the voluntary process in March when it welcomed Accreditation Canada surveyors into the facility.

In late July, NHH was notified that it had achieved the exemplary standing designation, which is awarded to “organizations that go beyond Accreditation Canada’s requirements and demonstrate excellence in quality improvement.”

According to a news release, the on-site peer surveyors commended NHH for the hospital’s strong alignment with service excellence standards, its consistent emphasis on people-centred care and interdisciplinary collaboration, and its focus on clear communication practices, supported by engaged clinical leadership and meaningful partnerships.

“Ensuring quality is central to the board’s mandate,” said Michael McAllister, NHH board chair.

“The NHH board has strongly supported the hospital’s participation in this important process, which offers an opportunity to highlight continuous quality improvement made across the organization since 2022, while also learning from others about evolving best practices. We appreciate the effort that went into achieving a second consecutive exemplary standing and look forward to continued alignment with Accreditation Canada standards in the years ahead.”

For more information and the full report, visit nhh.ca and check out the “quality and safety tab.”