The results are in! In VHA’s November 2012 Accreditation Canada survey, VHA was awarded accreditation with “Exemplary Standing”. We are pleased to announce that VHA met 100% of Accreditation Canada’s standards for quality and safety. This is familiar territory for us, as we also met 100% of the standards in our last survey in 2009. But we did not rest on our laurels. We continued to work toward quality improvements after 2009, as we still do now, because we know that we can always be better than we are today. Here are some examples of the commendations in our surveyor’s report:

Integrated Quality Management — Quotes from the survey report speak volumes:

• “an atmosphere of strong quality improvement permeates the entire organization from the board down to all front line staff
• “commitment to quality is matched only by their commitment to risk management”
• “they are commended for their openness to learn from mistakes”

Human Capital — The surveyors commented that VHA has a very comprehensive education program for employees and a commendable practice of promoting from within. It was noted that staff consistently communicated their passion for their work and satisfaction with working for VHA.

Physical Environment — Our vigorous and committed Occupational Health and Safety Committee was lauded for how it helps ensure a safe working environment in the offices, and even more importantly, out in the community where care is provided in a variety of settings.

Principle-Based Care and Decision Making — Surveyors noted that VHA has a demonstrated commitment to providing ethics training and education to staff and service providers, and was commended for not only having an Ethics Committee but also a Research Ethics Board.

Planning and Service Design — Surveyors found clear evidence of VHA’s strong connection to the community from the CEO to front line staff.

Governance — We were commend for achieving a very positive integration of the Rehab Solutions Division at the board level. The board was also commended for its deep commitment to providing needed services, and its strong social community reinvestment practices.

Communication — VHA’s excellent Strategic Communications Plan was observed to be clearly based on the organization’s three strategic pillars, and surveyors noted our comprehensive yet user-friendly Crisis Communications/Media Plan.

Emergency Preparedness — VHA received praise for our vibrant and inclusive Emergency Management Program Committee, systems to respond to internal and external emergencies and excellent e-learning modules.

As always, VHA learned a lot, both in the process of preparing for the accreditation survey and from the survey itself. Our surveyors provided us with thoughtful feedback and suggestions for continuing on our quality improvement path.