Health PEI awarded Stroke Distinction from Accreditation Canada

Health PEI Organized Stroke Care Program has been awarded Stroke Distinction from Accreditation Canada. Stroke Distinction is a highly specialized quality improvement program for organizations that offer acute and/or inpatient rehabilitation services with a dedicated stroke program or unit. The program also examines the coordination and integration of stroke services across organizations /health authorities.  PEI is the only group as a province to be awarded Stroke Distinction.

“This Distinction award reflects the dedicated creativity, hard work, and determination of a number of people working in stroke care on Prince Edward Island,” said Trish Helm-Neima, Provincial Stroke Coordinator for Health PEI. “The PEI Organized Stroke Care Program includes multi-disciplinary teams in the PCH and QEH EDs and ICUs, the Provincial Acute Stroke Unit, the Provincial Secondary Stroke Prevention Clinic, the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit and our Ambulatory Stroke Rehab Teams. We also work with amazing community partners including our Patient and Family Partners, Island EMS, Health and Wellness, and March of Dimes Canada who help us in our vision of Optimal Stroke Care for All Islanders.”

Developed in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Stroke Distinction recognizes Health PEI meets or exceeds Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations. It also recognizes the use of stroke-specific protocols, client and family education, and an excellence and innovation project.

Accreditation Canada highlighted areas of success found by its survey of Health PEI’s stroke services. The surveyors praised the provincial governance structure, including a stroke steering committee, subcommittees, and a stroke coordination office dedicated to excellence. The final report noted excellent collaboration between rehab staff, nurses, specialists and EMS, and with ongoing collaboration with primary care, homecare, and community care.

“Stroke Distinction is really important, because it hands us a framework for success and says ‘go for it,’” said Dr. Michael Gardam. “That’s exactly what the team has done. They’ve raised the quality of care and standards for acute stroke and rehabilitation and aligned resources to key priority areas for improvement. I want to give a big congratulations to the team. You earned this.”

This is Health PEI’s second Stroke Distinction recognition, the first being in 2018. Accreditation Canada awards the Stroke Distinction on a four-year cycle.

Media contact:
Dave Atkinson
Senior Communications Officer, Health PEI
datkinson@ihis.org