Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) is pleased to announce that Accreditation Canada has issued its formal decision letter congratulating the hospital team for achieving Accreditation with Exemplary Standing – the highest possible designation for an accredited organization through the hospital accreditation program. This is the second consecutive time that NHH has achieved this standing.
Accreditation Canada is an independent, not-for-profit organization that sets standards for quality and safety in health care and accredits health organizations in Canada and around the world. Every four years, a team of Accreditation Canada surveyors is invited to NHH to evaluate the hospital on more than 2,700 standards related to quality, safety, efficiency and inclusion. A voluntary process, NHH welcomed Accreditation Canada surveyors in March 2026. Late last week NHH was notified that it had achieved the Exemplary Standing designation, which is awarded to “…organizations that go beyond Accreditation Canada’s requirements and demonstrate excellence in quality improvement.”
“I am extremely proud of our staff, physicians, midwives, and volunteers, inclusive of our Board, Foundation, Auxiliary and Patient and Family Advisory Council,” said Susan Walsh, NHH’s President and CEO. “This designation is the direct result of their hard work and unwavering commitment to exceptional patient care even during a time of increased demand for our services and fiscal restraints in the healthcare sector. I extend my congratulations and gratitude to the entire NHH team, for showing up for our community each and every day.”
The on-site peer surveyors explicitly commended NHH for the hospital’s strong alignment with service excellence standards; its consistent emphasis on people-centred care and interdisciplinary collaboration; and its focus on clear communication practices, supported by engaged clinical leadership and meaningful partnerships.
“Ensuring quality is central to the Board’s mandate,” said Michael McAllister, Board Chair. “The NHH Board has strongly supported the hospital’s participation in this important process, which offers an opportunity to highlight continuous quality improvement made across the organization since 2022 while also learning from others about evolving best practices. We appreciate the effort that went into achieving a second consecutive Exemplary Standing and look forward to continued alignment with Accreditation Canada standards in the years ahead.”
For more information, and the full report, please visit nhh.ca in the ‘Quality & Safety tab’.
About Northumberland Hills Hospital – Located approximately 100 kilometres east of Toronto, NHH delivers a broad range of acute, post-acute, outpatient and diagnostic services. Acute services include emergency and intensive care, medical/surgical care, obstetrical care and palliative care. Post-acute specialty services (PASS) include restorative care and rehabilitation. Mental health care, cancer and supportive care, dialysis and other ambulatory care clinics are offered on an outpatient basis through partnerships with regional centres and nearby specialists. NHH offers a full range of diagnostic services, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and mammography. The hospital serves the catchment area of west Northumberland County. A mixed urban and rural population of more than 67,000 residents, west Northumberland comprises the Town of Cobourg, the Municipality of Port Hope, Alderville First Nation and the townships of Hamilton, Cramahe and Alnwick/Haldimand. NHH employs more than 1,000 people and relies on the additional support provided by physicians, midwives and volunteers. NHH is an active member of Ontario Health (East)—formerly the Central East Local Health Integration Network—and the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
