(Yellowknife – April 11, 2024) - On-site accreditation surveys, led by Accreditation Canada, will occur across the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) from April 21^st to April 26^th, 2024. The surveys assess health and social services in the NWT, including hospitals, primary care clinics, public health clinics, long-term care homes, home care, medical labs, social services and child and family services offices, and community mental health offices.

The NTHSSA strives to offer culturally safe, high-quality health care that is collaborative and centered around continuous improvement. To best service residents, the NTHSSA participates in ongoing assessments – through the Accreditation Canada process - to identify which areas are exceling and which areas may require improvements.

What is Accreditation?

• For more than 60 years, Accreditation Canada has been working with health, social and community service organizations to advance quality and safety.
• The accreditation process is a quality improvement process that supports efforts to improves health and social services in Canada.
• Accreditation is an ongoing process of assessing health care and social services organizations against standards of excellence to identify what is being done well and what needs to be improved.

What are On-site Surveys?

• An on-site survey is conducted by trained peer surveyors who assess the organization against national standards. The surveyors are healthcare professionals and administrators from accredited healthcare organizations throughout Canada.
• After the on-site survey, the surveyors submit a preliminary report to the organization being surveyed and to Accreditation Canada. 
• Accreditation Canada examines the surveyors’ reports and provides the organization with a final report and an accreditation decision based on the on-site survey. The accreditation decision is valid for four years.

What does Accreditation mean for NWT health and social services?

• Accreditation helps organizations improve quality and safety by shining a light on processes that work well and those that need more attention. The result? Reduced risk and higher quality care.
• Residents can recognize the accredited status of an organization as a commitment to quality improvement and evidence of alignment with best practices nationally.
• The whole organization is involved in Accreditation, creating stronger teams by improving communication and collaboration, and promoting learning around leading practices.
• The results of the on-site survey point to areas of success and areas where improvements can be made; the latter are used to inform the organization’s ongoing quality improvement program.

For more information on Accreditation Canada and the accreditation process, visit www.accreditation.ca.