Patient Safety
Patient safety has always been a top priority for Ontario hospitals, and the OHA's Patient Safety department is helping to extend that commitment even further by broadening the focus on safety to include quality of care. To do this, the OHA’s Patient Safety department works with Ontario hospitals to design, develop, and execute a number of different strategies dedicated to improving system-wide patient safety and quality of care.
The Patient Safety department at the OHA was formed in 2004 when the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced it would be Canada’s first province-wide Patient Safety Support Service. The OHA managed this two-year project, and in doing so provided tools, education, information and training, with the goal of strengthening patient safety in Ontario hospitals.
While the initiative came to a close in 2006, its work created the foundation for today’s Patient Safety department, which is funded and managed by the OHA. Through research, collaboration, and consultation, the department provides hospitals with innovative programs designed to improve quality of care and patient safety, and to raise awareness of patient safety issues throughout Ontario.