Shared Health Provincial Accreditation

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a process that evaluates and recognizes health-care organizations for meeting standards of excellence. It involves a comprehensive review of practices, policies, and procedures to ensure they align with national quality benchmarks. Accreditation helps health-care providers identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, fostering a culture of safety, learning, and continuously enhance the quality of care.

Accreditation means patients, clients and residents can trust that their health-care providers are committed to delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care. It is an ongoing process that encourages organizations to constantly evaluate and improve the quality of care they provide.

The Accreditation Process

Shared Health oversees a province-wide accreditation model that supports health-care quality and safety across Manitoba. Developed in collaboration with government representatives and key health-care stakeholders, this model provides a path for health-care excellence within the province.

Shared Health is accredited by Accreditation Canada under the Qmentum Global program. Qmentum Global promotes a continuous cycle of quality improvement, fostering a culture of safety and learning. It provides the us with the relevant assessment methods, assessment criteria, and resources to enhance accountability and drive measurable improvements against evidence-informed standards.

Manitoba is in a provincial four-year Accreditation sequential cycle, during which we go through an annual accreditation onsite survey process and are assessed on standards of excellence based on the services provided in Manitoba. The four-year accreditation sequential cycle allows us to move through an evidence-informed, quality improvement driven approach to implement and sustain improvements and provide excellence in care every day. Accreditation Canada’s surveyors (health leaders from across Canada) visit the organization to assess how well they are meeting the standards, share their expertise, and make recommendations.

Accreditation Canada then evaluates the results of the review and provides us with an accreditation decision and a written report which identifies strengths and areas for improvement. We then use the report to create and implement action plans, continuing the cycle of ongoing quality improvement to enhance the quality of care.

The Shared Health Provincial Accreditation Team leads and coordinates all accreditation activities across Manitoba, working in collaboration with the two Provincial Health Authorities (Shared Health Service Delivery Organization and CancerCare Manitoba) and five Regional Health Authorities. (Northern Health Region, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Prairie Mountain Health, Interlake-Eastern and Southern Health-Santé Sud).

Shared Health Accreditation Canada Bridging Survey and Sequence 1
A milestone in Shared Health’s Provincial Accreditation Journey

In May 2025, Shared Health proudly participated in Accreditation Canada’s on-site survey visits as part of Manitoba’s new four-year sequential provincial accreditation model. 

These milestones—completing the Bridging Survey and launching Sequence 1—represent two significant steps in our accreditation journey. Both initiatives are designed to enhance Shared Health’s system-wide commitment to quality improvement, patient safety, and collaboration across Manitoba’s health system. 

Understanding the Two Surveys: 

Bridging Survey  

The Bridging Survey (2024) was Shared Health’s first independent accreditation review, serving to align its processes and standards with the new provincial accreditation model while maintaining accountability and quality oversight. 

Focus Standards: 

• Infection Prevention and Control 
• Medication Management 
• Mental Health and Addictions 
• Rehabilitation and Spinal Cord Injury 
• Spinal Cord Injury Acute Services 
• Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Services 

Shared Health also successfully completed a supplementary survey of these same standards in May 2025, reaffirming our commitment to maintaining excellence in these specialized services. 

Sequence 1 (May 2025) 

Sequence 1 marks the launch of Manitoba’s first provincially coordinated accreditation cycle led by Shared Health. During this on-site visit, Accreditation Canada surveyors assessed Shared Health and other health authorities against key system-wide standards that are essential to leadership, quality, and safety across all services. 

Focus standards (Core Foundational Standards): 

• Governance 
• Leadership 
• Emergency and Disaster Management 
• Infection Prevention and Control (Leadership Criteria)  
• Medication Management (Leadership Criteria) 

Shared Health welcomes the final Accreditation Canada reports and is committed to applying the survey findings to support continuous learning and system improvement. 

These on-site visits provided valuable opportunities to reflect on our strengths, identify opportunities for improvement, and highlight the collaboration that drives high-quality care across Shared Health and our partners. 

Accreditation is not a singular occurrence, but rather a continuous process of learning, growth and system improvement. As we look ahead to our Sequence 2 on-site visit, scheduled for May 2026, we remain focused on strengthening partnerships, engaging patients and families, and continuing to build a health system that is equitable, accessible, trusted, and sustainable for all Manitobans. 

The Supplementary Survey and the Sequence 1 Final Reports are now available for your information. These reports mark important milestones in Shared Health’s ongoing quality improvement and patient safety journey, reflecting our collective commitment to continuous learning and excellence across Manitoba’s health system. 

Read the 2025 Shared Health Sequence 1 report | Version français. 

Read the 2025 Shared Health Supplementary Survey report | Version français. 

Previous reports

Read the 2024 Shared Health Bridging report | Version français.

About Accreditation Canada

Accreditation Canada is a not-for-profit, independent organization accredited by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). It provides national and international health-care organizations with an external peer review process to assess and improve the services they provide to their patients and clients based on standards of excellence. Accreditation Canada’s programs and guidance have helped organizations promote quality health care for over 55 years. Accreditation Canada inspires people around the world to improve outcomes through independent assessments against national standards, customizes and delivers accreditation and assessment programs to health and social services organizations and governments, according to their local needs and works with more than 14,000 locations worldwide.

About Health Standards Organization

Health Standards Organization (HSO) a non-profit, independent entity recognized by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) and adheres to the standards set by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), focusing on developing evidence-based standards for the healthcare sector; essentially, it creates quality benchmarks for healthcare services while following Canadian standards development practices. HSO works with leading experts and those with lived experience to develop standards, assessment programs and quality improvement solutions. HSO Develops and maintains more than 100 health care and social service standards; Assessment programs (such as accreditation), which are delivered by assessment partners and Quality improvement tools and resources.

Accreditation and Quality Management in Shared Health Diagnostics Services

Shared Health’s Quality Management System for diagnostic services is thorough and full of checks and balances to help ensure that the results we report to doctors and health care providers are accurate and timely.

For inquiries regarding Shared Health accreditation for diagnostic services, please email [email protected]

Other Regulatory Partners in Our Health-Care System

In addition to Accreditation Canada and Health Standards Organization, our health-care system engages with other regulatory partners, including, but not limited to:

• American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)
• Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR)
• College of American Pathologists (CAP)
• Eye Bank Association of America Accreditation (EBAA)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Health Canada Registration
• Manitoba Personal Care Home Standards
• Manitoba Quality Assurance Program (College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba) (MANQAP)

Contact Us

The Shared Health Provincial Accreditation Team welcomes and values your feedback. If you have any comments, compliments, concerns, questions, or suggestions, please email [email protected].