Mount Sinai achieves Choosing Wisely leadership status

TORONTO – Mount Sinai Hospital, part of Sinai Health, has received the highest designation in the Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital program, achieving the Leadership Status level. This designation acknowledges Sinai Health’s commitment to enhancing the quality and safety of care by actively reducing unnecessary tests, treatments, and procedures.

Achieving the Leadership Status involves active engagement from hospital staff and leadership and dedication to continuous quality improvement. Mount Sinai has showcased these qualities through leading quality improvement projects, mentoring hospitals, and embedding Choosing Wisely into its ongoing organizational strategy.

To achieve this designation, Mount Sinai participated in Choosing Wisely Canada’s national quality improvement programs, Using Labs Wisely and Using Blood Wisely.

These programs focus on reducing repetitive lab testing and improving blood transfusion practices. Beyond these initiatives, Mount Sinai has led efforts to decrease sedative-hypnotic prescribing and reduce unnecessary catheter use – initiatives that have enhanced patient care and inspired other hospitals, like William Osler Health System, to undertake similar improvement projects.

“Being recognized with this designation underscores Mount Sinai Hospital’s longstanding commitment to improving access and enhancing sustainability of precious healthcare resources,” said Dr. Gary Newton, president and CEO of Sinai Health. “By imbedding Choosing Wisely Canada’s recommendations into our quality improvement efforts and organizational strategy, we are improving the health and safety of our patients and the planet through the responsible use of tests and treatments.”

Reflecting on the recognition, Dr. Christine Soong (pictured), medical director, Quality and Safety and division head of Hospital Medicine at Sinai Health, acknowledged the significance of this designation.

“We are deeply proud of the teams’ efforts attaining this status and sustaining improvements in so many areas for the last few years, including during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when quality improvement work was especially challenging due to health system stressors,” she said.

“It is incredible to be among a handful of hospitals leading this work and it demonstrates Mount Sinai’s deep commitment and outstanding leadership in the field of quality improvement.”

Looking ahead, the organization intends to build on this momentum, with plans to sustain these efforts and pursue new improvement initiatives that further enhance patient safety and quality of care.

About Sinai Health
Sinai Health is comprised of Mount Sinai Hospital, Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and its system partner Circle of Care. It delivers excellent care in hospital, community and home, focusing on the comprehensive needs of people. Sinai Health discovers and translates scientific breakthroughs, pushes boundaries for health solutions and educates future clinical and scientific leaders. Clinical areas of specialization include rehabilitation and complex continuing care, surgery and oncology, urgent and critical care, and women’s and infants’ health. Its Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute ranks among the top ten biomedical research institutes in the world. Sinai Health is a full affiliate of the University of Toronto. For ore information, visit www.sinaihealth.ca.