1917
The American College of Surgeons (ACS), of which Canada is an active member, begins developing a hospital standardization program. The first Minimum Standard for Hospitals is developed and the requirements fill just one page.
1918
The ACS begins on-site inspections of hospitals. Only 89 of 692 hospitals surveyed meet the requirements of the Minimum Standard.
1926
The first Standards Manual is printed and consists of 18 pages.
1951
The accreditation program becomes too large and complex for one organization to administer. The American College of Physicians, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, and the Canadian Medical Association join with the ACS to create the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH). It is an independent, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide voluntary accreditation. Responsibility for the hospital standardization program is formally transferred to JCAH on December 6, 1952.
1953
The Canadian Hospital Association (now the Canadian Healthcare Association), the Canadian Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, and l'Association des médecins de langue française du Canada, establish the Canadian Commission on Hospital Accreditation. The commission's purpose is to create a Canadian program for hospital accreditation.
1958
The Commission realizes its goal with the incorporation of the Canadian Council on Hospital Accreditation. The Council's purpose is to set standards for Canadian hospitals and evaluate their compliance. The accreditation program is voluntary, free from government intervention, national, bilingual, and not-for-profit.
1960-1988
The accreditation program continues to grow in popularity. In 1960, there are less than 350 accredited hospitals in Canada. By the end of 1980 there are 850, and in 1988 the number of accredited facilities approaches 1,300.
1963
Accreditation of smaller and special hospitals begins.
1964
Accreditation of mental health hospitals begins.
1978
Accreditation of long-term care centres begins.
1980
The Canadian Long Term Care Association (now the Canadian Association for Community Care) joins the Council's Board of Directors.
1981
Hospital administrators join physicians and nurses as surveyors.
1985
The accreditation of rehabilitation facilities begins.
1988
The Council changes its name to the Canadian Council on Health Facilities Accreditation (CCHFA) in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
1990
Standards documents are revised to focus on structure and process, and begin to look at outcomes.
1992
The Council's Board of Directors expands to include representatives from the Association of Canadian Teaching Hospitals, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian College of Health Service Executives, and a consumer representative.
1995
To more accurately reflect its clients and customers, the Council changes its name to the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA). The client-centered accreditation program is launched. This revised accreditation program focuses on an organization's patient care processes. The philosophy of continuously improving the quality of care and service is also incorporated and organizations are asked to begin developing and using performance indicators.
1996
The accreditation of home care services gets underway.
1997
Work on The AIM Project (Achieving Improved Measurement) begins. This project, to be launched in 2000, sees the accreditation program revised to emphasize better measurement.
1998
Council is surveyed by international accrediting organizations. A new team is established to better serve Québec's specific needs.
A draft accreditation program is developed for Acquired Brain Injury Services and the first pilot test organization has its survey.
A draft accreditation program is developed for First Nations and Inuit Substance Abuse Services. Draft standard for the AIM project is prepared and ready for phase 1 pilot testing. The Board of Directors decides to move to a policy governance model.
1999
Phase 1 and phase 2 of AIM pilot testing is completed.
Pilot testing for six acute indicators is completed.
First Nations and Inuit Substance Abuse Services draft standards are approved and five pilot organizations are surveyed. Medical Services Branch of Health Canada agrees to fund the launch and implementation of the program.
Seven pilot surveys are completed for Acquired Brain Injury.
2000
A new logo and corporate identity is unveiled.
International Services (now CCHSA International) is launched to service clients outside of Canada.
2001
Continued advancements are made in the use of technology as we move towards automation of our Accreditation Program.
The one-stop customer service model is introduced which sees the implementation of Accreditation Specialists to assist health service organizations.
There is continued development of new standards and programs for a number of markets.
2002
A series of regional Surveyors’ Conferences are held in locations across the country. A separate Education Development arm is implemented and work in this area has intensified.
Work towards a pilot comparative report is initiated.
CCHSA undergoes its own accreditation survey through ISQua.
2003
Rating scale definitions are improved to ensure they are clear and consistent in their interpretation. Recognition Guidelines are modified to include a new conditional level – Accreditation with Report and Focused Visit. The Board of Directors completes a three-year plan that identifies four key directions the CCHSA will need to consider over the next three years: strategic positioning/national recognition, accreditation program improvements, human resources, and information management systems
2004
Conference Board of Canada presents CCHSA with national award for governance for the not-for-profit sector. A highly successful Surveyors’ Conference is held in Ottawa.
2005
Work begins on developing the new Accreditation Program.
2006
CCHSA introduces new standards on Child Welfare, Hospice Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Biomedical Laboratory Services, and supplementary criteria for Telehealth. CCHSA successfully undergoes its third ISQua survey.
2007
Three hundred and seventy surveyors participate in the National Surveyors’ Conference in Ottawa.
CCHSA opens offices in Edmonton and Montreal.
Thirty-one organizations in more than a dozen countries participate in CCHSA International’s program.
CCHSA signs a partnership agreement with the Conseil Québécois d’Agrément (CQA) to provide specialized accreditation in Quebec.
2008
The new Qmentum Accreditation Program with its enhanced focus on quality improvement and patient safety is launched.
CCHSA becomes Accreditation Canada. Although the name is new, the commitment to a rigorous, comprehensive, and consultative approach to driving quality health services through accreditation remains unchanged.
2009
Accreditation Canada is recognized as a Top 25 Employer in the National Capital Region by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, an annual competition to recognize Canada's best places to work.
New Required Organizational Practices come into effect for restricting the use of dangerous abbreviations, heparin safety, narcotics safety, hand hygiene audit, pressure ulcer prevention, and suicide prevention.
Accreditation Canada presents Ethics in Health Care, a national conference showcasing tools and strategies organizations need to deal with sensitive ethical issues that arise in health care.
A five-year agreement is signed with CSA Standards to ensure continued collaboration on initiatives including reprocessing and sterilization, organ and tissue donation and transplant, and infection prevention and control.
Accreditation Canada International pilot tests the new Qmentum International accreditation program, and pursues health care quality improvement initiatives in Costa Rica, Kuwait, Lebanon, Albania, and the United Arab Emirates.
2010
Accreditation Canada undergoes its fourth ISQua survey, achieving three accreditation awards from ISQua — for the organization, the standards, and the surveyor training program.
Accreditation Canada officially opens the doors of the new head office with a celebration attended by clients, partners, staff, board members, and hundreds of surveyors who are in Ottawa to participate in the national surveyors’ conference.
Qmentum International is launched. The first surveys using this new program tailored to international clients take place in St. Lucia and Saudi Arabia.
New standards are introduced to the Qmentum program to support clients in a number of health care sectors, including organ and tissue donation, point-of-care testing, primary care, and home support services.
Four new ROPs (which apply to surveys starting 2011) are added to Qmentum. The ROPs address workplace violence prevention, home safety risk assessment, safe surgery checklist, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis.
For the second consecutive year, Accreditation Canada is recognized as a Top 25 Employer of the National Capital Region.