Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Achieves Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital Leadership Status

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has been recognized as a Choosing Wisely Canada Hospital at the Leadership Status level — the highest achievement awarded under the national program. As an early adopter and champion of Choosing Wisely Canada since its inception, Sunnybrook has demonstrated strong organizational leadership and commitment to resource stewardship.

Founded in 2014, Choosing Wisely Canada is the national voice for reducing unnecessary tests and treatments in Canada. It is a clinician-led campaign that encourages informed conversations between clinicians and patients about the potential risks of unnecessary tests, treatments or procedures.

Earning this designation involves active engagement from hospital staff and leadership, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre showcased its organizational leadership by successfully implementing quality improvement projects, mentoring other hospitals, and integrating Choosing Wisely as a key part of its ongoing organizational strategy.

Sunnybrook has led many significant Choosing Wisely Canada quality improvement efforts, focusing on appropriate blood use, reducing the use of unnecessary urinary catheter use, and optimizing laboratory testing utilization. Many of these interventions have inspired the creation of Choosing Wisely Canada toolkits to help other hospitals adopt these best practices.

"This recognition reflects Sunnybrook’s outstanding dedication to fostering a culture of safe care and innovation,” says Dr. Andy Smith, President and CEO of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “Choosing Wisely has remained a longstanding priority for us, with clinical champions and staff integrating these principles into our organizational structure to enhance quality and safety of care.”

“Receiving Choosing Wisely Canada’s Leadership Status as part of its Hospital Designation Program is a really wonderful recognition for all the work that clinicians do day in and day out to ensure that only the most effective tests, treatments and procedures are utilized at Sunnybrook,” says Dr. William Silverstein, Staff Physician in the Division of GIM and Physician Lead of the Choosing Wisely Committee. “Ultimately, it reflects our hospital’s commitment to resource stewardship and demonstrates that we are doing our part in caring for the planet while providing high-value care to patients and their families.”