The Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) network has reached a major milestone: 30,000 children spared from serious harm since its inception in 2009. Holland Bloorview has been a proud member of this collaborative network since January 2020, along side more than 150 children’s hospitals across North America. All member hospitals have played a vital role in this achievement and continue to strengthen culture of safety every day.

SPS is focused on eliminating serious safety events and hospital-acquired conditions such as falls, pressure injuries and adverse drug events. Holland Bloorview joined the network as part of our Caring Safely initiative with a shared goal: to prevent harm and deliver safer care to every child, every day.

“We are proud to be part of the SPS network and contribute to this incredible milestone- 30,000 children spared from harm,” says Renee Blomme, director, quality, safety and performance. “It was a thoughtful decision by our leadership to join SPS, and it’s had a real impact on our journey toward being a high reliability organization with a strong safety culture.”

That culture is reflected in daily routines. “Initiatives like the daily safety brief, safety huddles and executive leadership rounds (ELRs) ensure safety is a daily priority,” Blomme adds.

Launched in February 2025, ELRs connect leadership with frontline staff monthly, fostering transparency, listening and learning. These rounds help build trust, enhance staff engagement and ensure leadership decisions are informed by the insights and experiences of frontline staff.

Similarly, the rehab and complex continuing care (CCC) unit’s safety huddle, redesigned in June 2024 to align with the SPS model, helps identify daily priorities and address operational concerns reinforcing teamwork and shared accountability.

Training and education fuel safety at Holland Bloorview. In the last quarter of 2025, 93 per cent of new clinical hires were trained in error prevention strategies within their first three months. The hospital also maintains a strong safety coach program, with 23 active safety coaches embedded in various departments to ensure safety remains a top priority across the organization.

“Major issues and sometimes fatal mistakes can often be prevented by making small adjustments in our communication methods. Our error prevention training module reinforces simple, effective strategies to reduce the risk of harm due to miscommunication.” says Tuen Mun Ong, physiotherapist, day program and specialized orthopedic and developmental rehab (SODR). “By sharing clear and complete information, we enhance the quality of care we provide and ensure greater safety for clients, families and staff.” 

Our efforts are showing positive results:

• A 16 per cent increase in overall safety event reporting, reflecting improvements driven by error prevention training, safety coaching and enhanced reporting processes.
• A 35 per cent reduction in employee harm, with client aggression identified as the leading cause of injury, followed by ergonomic strains and slips or falls. Interventions like interdisciplinary safety huddles, updated transfer training, ergonomic assessments and crisis intervention training have been instrumental in driving these improvements.

“Advocating for safety training is an essential component of the Caring Safely initiative. This novel comprehensive program is designed to empower families and caregivers with the knowledge and tools they need to actively help prevent errors and support safe, high-quality care for their child,” says Melody Hicks, project manager, Caring Safely.

Family leader, Joanne Downing agrees: “Sharing error prevention tools with families is essential. These tools help families communicate more effectively with care teams and support three key principles: advocating for safety, communicating clearly and maintaining a questioning attitude. The ultimate goal is zero harm, and everyone benefits.”

Learn more about our Caring Safely program and our ongoing commitment to deliver excellent care by aligning our quality and safety improvement initiatives with national standards and best practices.

Read the full SPS press release.