The Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) has been “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” under Canada’s newly introduced accreditation decision levels, the highest possible level of accreditation.The new decision levels came into effect on January 1, based on the results of the survey conducted last year.Health Minister Zane DeSilva said: “I am very proud that our only hospital has been awarded the very highest level of accreditation.“To get this result after a rigorous survey by an internationally recognised accrediting body requires BHB to demonstrate patient safety in all it does.”Although the new hospital will not be completed for another two years, Mr DeSilva said: “It is very encouraging that hospital operations are already providing a service whose quality is on par with the best in Canada.”BHB Chairman Wendall Brown said: “The board’s bar is set exceedingly high when it comes to quality. It is reassuring to know that we are truly up there with the best Canada has.”And he congratulated hospital staff, management and board members “for their dedication to constantly driving improvements through the organisation from board-level through to the patient bedside”.BHB CEO Venetta Symonds said: “People may not see the hard work that goes on everyday to ensure that we meet international standards of quality and patient safety.“It is a constant focus in all we do, from surgical checklists in the operating rooms, to bar coded medication checks at the bedside, from pressure ulcer prevention programmes, to avoiding the use of abbreviations on medical records that could be misunderstood.”The challenge now said Ms Symonds: “Is to ensure we maintain that top level everyday and in future surveys.”