This presentation will provide an overview of Accreditation Canada- who we are, what accreditation is, the importance of accreditation, how it works, and how we partner for success. I will provide insight into the Health Standards Organization (HSO) and Accreditation Canada and how we build a supportive Health Ecosystem together. I will provide an brief overview of the rigour of Accreditation Canada’s Accreditation Program, Accreditation for Quality Improvement and patient safety, levers for change and how we connect quality across the healthcare when partnering for success. Finally, I will provide some insight into the Accreditation Survey and what teams can expect during their organizational and site visits.

Debbie Walsh began with Eastern Health in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1990 immediately following graduation and held progressive leadership roles throughout her career. She is a registered nurse by profession with a Diploma in Nursing, a Bachelor of Nursing degree and a Master’s of Health Studies (leadership) degree. She has completed the Learning Leaders’ Program (executive stream); is currently a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) and holds a designation of Certified Health Executive (CHE). Debbie has been an Accreditation Canada surveyor for the past seven years. She has held leadership roles throughout her career as Clinical manager, Clinical Director, and Vice President and Chief Nurse with her last position being Vice-President/COO of Eastern Rural Zone and Vice-President responsible for Centre for Nursing Studies at NLHS in 2023-2025. Since retiring from NLHS, Debbie has supported other organizations such as Health PEI and is a very active Accreditation Surveyor Nationally. Debbie has extensive knowledge of Acute Care Clinical portfolios including Perioperative, Surgical Services, Inpatient Medicine, Cancer Care (Oncology), Clinical Efficiency, Rural Health (including Primary Care, Long-term Care, Personal Care Homes Virtual Care, Community Care and Public Health Nursing Care). She is very proud of her accomplishments and her career as a Nurse and takes great pride in opportunities to mentor, coach, teach and support others during their leadership journey.