Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem announced today that Prince Edward Island's five health regions have been awarded accredited status by the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation.
"Accreditation is an important accountability tool that enables us to assess our performance against national standards and report back to the public," said the minister. "The high marks achieved by the regions are a reflection of the dedication and professionalism of our staff, physicians and board members who strive to meet the highest standards of quality in care and service. They are to be commended for this outstanding achievement."
The results of the accreditation process were received this week, following a comprehensive self-assessment process and surveys conducted in June by a team of eleven physicians and senior health administrators from across the country.
A provincial summary report of key findings from the surveys indicates that access to most services is good to excellent, care is provided by committed and dedicated staff who have good linkages with each other and the community, and the regions are making good progress in quality monitoring and improvement activities which are fostered by all boards and management staff.
Some of the recommendations include the need to enhance quality frameworks, based on indicator development, to update community needs assessments and reorganize primary care services to relieve pressure on emergency services.
Minister Ballem advised that these recommendations support the direction set out by the system in its strategic plan. "One of our planning principles is to improve accountability through regular monitoring and reporting of our performance and outcomes. The recommendations of the accreditors confirm the direction we are taking in this area," said the minister. "Another of our planning principles is sustainability. Our challenge for the future is to sustain the range and quality of services in light of increasing expectations and demand. As we have stated repeatedly, increased federal funding will be key to our success in this area."
Betty Fraser, CEO of the Southern Kings Health Region and member of the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation board, advised that the accreditation process has evolved over the years. "The process has moved from one that required us to meet minimum standards in hospitals and long-term care to one that assesses quality in all regional services, as well as teamwork, community partnerships, leadership and continuous improvement," she said. "Accreditation continues to be an excellent report card, and also a process that brings community and regional board members, physicians and staff at all levels together to ensure we are getting good client outcomes across the whole continuum of care."
The health regions were last accredited in June 1998 when they also received three-year national accredited status.