Sarnia’s Pathways Health Center for Children has again won top marks from a national health and social services assessment program.
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The center, which provides therapy and other services to more than 4,000 children and youth with physical, developmental and communication needs, was “accredited with exemplary standing” by Accreditation Canada after meeting 100 per cent of criteria during a recent assessment.
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That matches Pathways’ result in its last assessment in 2019, said chief executive Alison Morrison.
“We know that we make safety and quality a priority,” Morrison said.
Going into the latest accreditation, a voluntary process done every four years, center officials felt it was “in good standing, but it is wonderful to have that confirmed and affirmed from outside eyes and experts in the field,” she said.
Pathways has been part of the accreditation program, run by an independent, national non-profit agency, for many years, she said.
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“It’s a rigorous evaluation,” Morrison said. “They’re meeting with staff, and they’re meeting with families, and they’re meeting with clients and community partners and board members.”
During a November survey, center policies and procedures were reviewed by Accreditation Canada, she said.
“But they’re also…. looking at the practices – the day-to-day work of our staff and the experiences of the users,” Morrison said, to determine “are we walking the talk, are we doing what we say we are doing, and are we living into their internationally-recognized standards of excellence?”
The center met all 473 criteria during the assessment, she said.
“It’s important for us to ensure that the services that we’re delivering are safe and of high quality,” Morrison said.
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The last assessment took place in November 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recent assessment included questions about how Pathways handled the pandemic and “resources … in place to continue to provide services and support the staff,” Morrison said. “They certainly did a deep dive into how we managed through things like infection prevention and control.”
The accreditation process acknowledged it was “outstanding that there were no outbreaks in this organization over the first four years of the pandemic,” Morrison said.
For the nearly 200 center staff, “it’s important for us to affirm and confirm that we’re doing the best that we can for kids in this community,” she said.
Accreditation surveyors term the center as an “impressive organization” and “trusted community partner” where “family-centered care is deeply embedded in its culture,” Pathways said in a release.
As well as rehabilitation, clinical and support services, Pathways has on-site child care and a therapeutic pool.
Pathways is grateful for support during the latest accreditation “from families and community partners who came in and met with the surveyors to talk about their experience,” Morrison said.
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