Community Health Centres of Northumberland (CHCN) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded Accredited with Exemplary Standing status from Accreditation Canada, an independent, not-for-profit organization that conducts reviews of health organizations around the globe and sets standards for quality and safety in health care. This means that, the CHCN has gone beyond the expectations of meeting over 634 quality improvement and safety standards related to the services it provides.
Following a comprehensive self-assessment completed by CHCN staff and Board of Directors, one Accreditation Canada surveyor visited CHCN from September 20th – 24th 2021 and one participated in the survey virtually from Manitoba to analyze the center’s programs and processes.
Both surveyors are experienced leaders from other Canadian health care organizations who reviewed many background documents (such as our Strategic and Operational plans) and interviewed front-line staff, management, clients of the Centre, volunteers, community partners and members of the CHCN Board to complete their evaluation.
Of the 634 standards, the CHCN met 99.6 per cent and, upon review by Accreditation Canada’s Decision Committee, received its official “Accredited with Exemplary Status”.
Standards and requirements are for community organizations such as ours are constantly evolving. These include: assessment of organizational culture, safety practices related to infection prevention and control, client safety initiatives, governance functioning and more.
This is the fourth accreditation cycle for the CHCN, and the second time it has achieved Accredited with Exemplary Status.
The Accreditation process is an important opportunity to evaluate – program by program, service by service – against proven best practices. When you see the Accreditation Canada seal, you can be certain that the health care organization is working hard to meet standards to deliver safe, high-quality care.
The award of Accredited with Exemplary Standing status from Accreditation Canada further demonstrates the quality and value of the Centre’s services and programs including the positive health and well-being outcomes for the Centre’s clients and community in general, all accomplished through the commitment of its staff, Board Members, community stakeholders and funding partners.
