Western Health defines quality improvement as a structured process that selectively identifies and improves all aspects of service (Accreditation Canada, 2007). The process involves management, staff and other health professionals in the continuous improvement of work processes to achieve better outcomes of client/patient/resident care (Harrigan, 2000).
Western Health continually identifies the populations that it serves, the processes that it uses to provide services and employs a valid method to continually evaluate and improve services. Leadership is committed to fostering a culture of quality and effective facilitation of teams. Western Health developed a Quality Improvement Framework that outlines the structures and processes the organization utilizes to support continuous quality improvement (Western Health, 2006).
Western Health supports the accreditation process as an integral part of organizational quality improvement. Accreditation provides health care organizations with an opportunity to evaluate and improve the quality of their services. Accreditation Canada is the accrediting body for health care organizations across Canada. In follow-up to the first survey as an integrated organization in December 2007, Western Health received a three-year accreditation from Accreditation Canada. The accreditation report recognized that the programs and services provided by Western Health are meeting national standards of quality in health care. As a condition of the accreditation decision, Western Health also submitted a six-month report that demonstrates progress with addressing 12 recommendations related to enhancing patient safety and minimizing risk.
More recently, Western Health was evaluated in December 2010 by the accrediting body, Accreditation Canada. That accreditation report once again recognized that the program and services offered by Western Health are meeting national standards of quality in health care service delivery. Western Health was in compliance with over 93% of these standards. As a condition of the 2010 accreditaion decision, Western Health will submit a six month report that demonstates progress in addressing areas of improvement related to patient safety and minimizing risk.
Please click on the link to see Western Health's Accreditation Report 2010.