Canada Awards for Excellence
Recipient ProfileYork Region Public Health, Child and Family Health Division
2017 Silver Recipient
Excellence, Innovation and Wellness®
Serving the second fastest growing region in the Greater Toronto Area (2011-2016), York Region Public Health supports the well-being of residents through health promotion, health protection and disease prevention efforts. The Child and Family Health Division offers such programs as dental screening and care, home visiting support to new and expectant parents, mental health support and education, prenatal education and support, breastfeeding clinics, resiliency building for parents, tele-practice support and community engagement.
Management and staff identified quality as a divisional goal in 2013 and achieved the Excellence, Innovation and Wellness Award Bronze Level certification the following year. Since then, additional quality projects have been implemented, including the increased use of Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles, dashboards to strengthen data presentation and measurement practices, a mental health strategy and the development of new structures to increase communication.
York Region Public Health breastfeeding clinics offer one to one individual breastfeeding support and consultation. Services are provided by Public Health Nurses, who are often international board certified lactation consultants.
York Region Public Health’s Health Connection team is the first point of contact for members in the community wishing to get more information regarding their own health, or that of their family, as it relates to preparation for pregnancy, prenatal health, breastfeeding, infant health, and parenting of children up to school entry. Supported by foundational policies and systematically developed procedures, staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to provide a positive customer experience.
“Having achieved Bronze accreditation through Excellence Canada in 2014, the Child and Family Health Division of York Region Public Health was invited to apply for Silver Accreditation. We mobilized our team and prepared for assessment – successfully achieving Silver in December 2016. I am proud of our division, for the excellence and innovation they bring to their work every day, their passion in being able to demonstrate this, and their commitment to quality improvement, innovation and wellness, in everything we do.”
Previous Awards
Excellence, Innovation and Wellness® – Bronze, 2014