(Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – March 15th, 2024): InterHealth Canada -Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital proudly announce the completion of ‘The Diamond Challenge’, a virtual competition that showcased the innovative improvement initiatives of six dedicated healthcare professional teams.

This competition spotlighted the organization’s commitment to patient safety and organizational excellence through creative poster displays. These displays, slated for exhibition across the Hospital, represent ongoing programs, new endeavours and industry changes in clinical practice and quality improvement. Quality improvement is the systematic approach that is guided by data to improve the quality and safety of healthcare delivery.

For over a year, participating teams meticulously prepared for ‘The Diamond Challenge, ‘ culminating in presenting posters and oral pitches before a panel of external judges. The initiatives, implemented between 2021 and 2023, were selected based on their demonstrable impact on and improvement of the Hospital’s operating environment. The judging panel featured prominent healthcare experts, including Richard Wylde, Deputy Director for Improvement at Leeds and York NHS Foundation Trust, England; Dr. Ali Hojjati, Lead Advisor at Accreditation Canada; and Jaymi Chernoff, Director of Critical Care Network at Kelowna General Hospital, Canada.

“Continuously improving healthcare quality and safety is a key goal for healthcare systems, aiming to enhance efficiency, reduce expenses, and ensure excellent patient outcomes”, explained Isha Honore, Quality Risk and Patient Safety Manager. She added, “Improving healthcare quality is the responsibility of everyone, including staff and patients. Through this program, we successfully integrated a diverse team of professionals and patient advisors. Each person in the system offers valuable insights and vital contributions to maintaining quality and safety standards. The active participation and understanding of all team members ensure that quality improvement initiatives are effective, relevant, successful, and sustainable.”

Dr. Denise Braithwaite, Chief Executive Officer of InterHealth Canada- Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, expressed her pride in the competition’s outcomes, saying, “The outstanding work presented by the Diamond Challenge teams serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication to enhancing patient care and safety demonstrated by our healthcare professionals. Their innovative initiatives exemplify our steadfast commitment to fostering a culture of excellence within our organization, driving us towards continued success in providing our community the highest standard of care.”

The top three initiatives concentrated on fostering a Culture of Safety, covering fall prevention, workplace violence, and infection control education projects.

As we celebrate the success of ‘The Diamond Challenge,’ we are dedicated to continuously refining our approach to healthcare quality and safety, leveraging the expertise of industry leaders to drive innovation and excellence.