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(Ottawa, ON) — Accreditation Canada, the agency that accredits the quality and safety of Canadian health-care organizations, has awarded CHEO the highest rating possible — full accreditation with exemplary standing — for meeting 2,388 of 2,395 standards, including all 30 required organizational practices.
“Achieving exemplary standing is a badge of honour we will wear with great pride,” said Alex Munter, President and CEO. “This accomplishment is a tribute to the commitment and passion I see here every day — from everyone who works here — to provide the best life for every child and youth.”
Accreditation Canada is an Ottawa-based, not-for-profit, international organization that provides independent, third-party assessments of health-care organizations around the world. Accreditation is an ongoing process, where health and social service organizations like hospitals, dental offices and medical labs are evaluated against hundreds of standards of excellence. The goal is to highlight strengths and identify areas that need improvement.
CHEO’s accreditation status was cemented following an on-site survey in September, when a team of expert peer-reviewers visited three CHEO sites to evaluate clinical and organizational processes. The surveyors observed and talked with CHEO staff, medical staff, leadership and families to learn about CHEO’s innovative practices.
CHEO last participated in the accreditation process five years ago and since then, has improved its status from accredited with commendation to exemplary standing. Among the report’s highlights, CHEO was commended for:
- setting the foundation for meaningful partnerships with families and community organizations with THRIVE, Canada’s first report to assess the capacity of a region’s pediatric health system
- instilling a culture of improvement through the adoption of Lean processes to improve safety and quality of care
- managing and capitalizing on the opportunities arising from the amalgamation with the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre
- implementing a comprehensive digital health record system, which has improved medication safety and provided children, youth and families real-time access to their health records, to name only two of the system’s many benefits
“We live the goals of Accreditation Canada every day because, at the end of the day, it helps us use our resources wisely, grow our safety culture and improve the quality of care we deliver,” said Mr. Munter.
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Media contact
media@cheo.on.ca
About CHEO
Based in Canada’s capital, CHEO is a globally renowned health institution with a mission to provide exceptional care and support to children, youth and their families. Opening our doors in 1974, we offer a full range of specialized pediatric care and services to children from eastern and northern Ontario, western Quebec and Nunavut. Our site is home to a hospital, a children’s treatment centre, a school, a research institute, and is affiliated with the University of Ottawa as an academic health science centre. Named Canada’s best health-care employer by Forbes in 2024 and 2025, we are home to more than 6,500 staff, clinicians, scientists and researchers, as well as volunteers – all of whom work together to help children and youth achieve their best lives.
About Accreditation Canada
Accreditation Canada is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to working with patients, policy makers and the public to improve the quality of health and social services for all.
They work to bring the best of health care from around the world home, and vice versa. They work closely with health and social services organizations in Canada and abroad to develop a sustainable culture of improvement that betters safety and efficiency, working to save and improve lives. From the standards they use to the frontline assessments they conduct and everything in between, patients and families are full partners in what they do.