HGMH awarded highest accreditation level by Accreditation Canada

Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital (HGMH) has been awarded exemplary accreditation status from Accreditation Canada, an independent reviewer that assesses and recognizes organizational excellence. Exemplary status is the highest rating possible.

The hospital undergoes an accreditation review every four years, and is assessed on everything from organizational aspects like governance and leadership to hospital protocols in areas from infection prevention to emergency department to lab services. The accreditation represents the culmination of several months of preparation by the entire hospital team, who work hard to maintain the rigorous standards set in every category.

"I am so proud of the work our entire team has accomplished over the last four years," says HGMH CEO Linda Morrow. "Receiving Accreditation with Exemplary Standing demonstrates that HGMH is attentive to giving outstanding professional care to our patients and their families. The dedication of our staff, physicians, and volunteers, to promote high quality care and service delivery is evident in Accreditation Canada's findings."

Beyond pursuing the formal acknowledgement, HGMH uses the accreditation process as an opportunity to raise awareness of the benchmarks among all staff. This year, the process was coordinated by Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and Project Manager Louise Quenneville, who deployed a passport framework to challenge staff to strengthen their awareness in six areas related to accreditation, including communications, safety culture, medication, and others. Biweekly prizes and a prominent display documenting the hospital's progress through the accreditation "road trip" helped to cheer the organization on to success.

Quenneville says she was pleased to see the hospital community become so engaged. "Accreditation builds awareness. It makes each one of us accountable and confirms the patient is the centre of care. It gives us an external perspective-having Accreditation Canada with their knowledge and requirements reaffirms what we should expect of ourselves," she says.

CEO Linda Morrow emphasizes that the ultimate value of accreditation is the message it sends to the community. "Being Accredited with Exemplary Standing means that our patients and their families can be assured that the care they receive at our Hospital goes beyond the requirements of Accreditation Canada to demonstrate excellence in quality improvement."