On November 7, the winners of the 2011 Quality Healthcare Workplace Awards were announced at HealthAchieve. The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s HealthForceOntario (HFO) partnered to develop the awards program as a way to recognize employer and staff efforts in fostering and establishing healthy workplaces. The awards also acknowledge commitment from senior management to improve health care workplaces in ways that contribute to providers’ quality of work life and the quality of care and services they deliver.
The program also offers organizations a framework for improvement, and they can win awards in four categories: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. The program is designed to identify and promote ongoing self-evaluation, learning and improvement among organizations. Its main goals are to enhance organizational performance and promote the dissemination of effective practices that impact on the quality of health care workplaces.
This year, 37 organizations – including 34 hospitals – and three Community Care Access Centres received awards. They are:
- Halton Healthcare Services – Platinum level
- Mount Sinai Hospital – Platinum level
- St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital – Platinum level
- The Hospital for Sick Children – Platinum level
- University Health Network – Platinum level
- Campbellford Memorial Hospital – Gold level
- Central Community Care Access Centre – Gold level
- Lakeridge Health – Gold level
- North York General Hospital – Gold level
- Northumberland Hills Hospital – Gold level
- Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences – Gold level
- Rouge Valley Health System – Gold level
- St. Joseph's Care Group – Gold level
- St. Michael's Hospital – Gold level
- Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre – Gold level
- William Osler Health System – Gold level
- Bluewater Health – Silver level
- Brant Community Healthcare System – Silver level
- Bruyère Continuing Care – Silver level
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health – Silver level
- Grey Bruce Health Services – Silver level
- Hanover and District Hospital – Silver level
- Hôpital Général de Hawkesbury & District General Hospital – Silver level
- Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital – Silver level
- Kingston General Hospital – Silver level
- Markham Stouffville Hospital Corporation – Silver level
- Mississauga Halton Community Care Access Centre – Silver level
- Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital – Silver level
- The Royal Victoria Hospital of Barrie – Silver level
- Wellington Health Care Alliance – Silver level
- Cornwall Community Hospital – Bronze level
- Dryden Regional Health Centre – Bronze level
- Niagara Health System – Bronze level
- Peterborough Regional Health Centre – Bronze level
- South Huron Hospital Association – Bronze level
- Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care – Bronze level
- West Nipissing General Hospital – Bronze level
For the first time, a scholarship of $5,000 was awarded by the 2011 awards’ sponsor, NRC Picker Canada, to one participating organization. This scholarship was open to small hospitals in the Gold category with the intent to help them move up to the Platinum level. The scholarship was targeted at small hospitals to recognize the greater challenges they face in supporting quality workplace initiatives and in completing the lengthy submission. The 2011 scholarship went to Campbellford Memorial Hospital.
For more information about the Quality Healthcare Workplace Awards, please contact Kimberly Burrows, kburrows@oha.com or 416-205-1387.