SickKids achieves Accreditation with Exemplary Standing

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is proud to announce it has achieved Accreditation with Exemplary Standing – the highest possible designation from Accreditation Canada.

SickKids was evaluated on 2,134 criteria, including 26 Required Organizational Practices, and met 99.6 percent of them – an outstanding result.

The review process, which occurs every four years, includes an on-site survey facilitated by Accreditation Canada, a global, not-for-profit organization that assesses health and social service providers against national standards of quality. The goal is to help SickKids evaluate and improve the quality, safety and efficiency of its care and services. 

“We knew 2025 would be an eventful year for SickKids because of our sesquicentennial, but it turned out to be so much bigger,” says Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO, SickKids. “Among all the accolades we’ve received, Accreditation is especially significant because it reflects our commitment to the highest standards of patient safety, quality care and continuous improvement. Maintaining Exemplary Standing affirms the dedication of our staff and the trust our community places in us to deliver the best possible outcomes for children and their families.” 

In October, a team of five surveyors from Accreditation Canada and one observer from the Health Standards Organization visited SickKids. For the first time, the survey team also included a Patient Partner focused on evaluating people-centred care. The team met with hospital staff, physicians and patients and families from across the organization to assess leadership, the physical environment, infection control, medication management and more.  

The surveyors recognized SickKids for its strong culture of continuous quality improvement and patient safety, as well as its deep commitment to people-centred care. Other areas of excellence included having engaged and passionate teams, bold and visionary strategies, strong leadership models, data-driven decision making, and opportunities for learning and growth.