Osler honoured with national awards for excellence in patient safety and excellence in IDEA

William Osler Health System (Osler) has been recognized with two prestigious national awards from the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL), underscoring its leadership in delivering safe, inclusive, and high-quality care.

Osler has received CCHL’s 2025 Excellence in Patient Safety Award for its Seniors’ Health Program and implementation of The Butterfly Approach™, an emotion-focused care model supporting older adults with dementia. Osler’s Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) unit is the first acute care setting in the world to adopt the approach, which has led to improved outcomes including reduced falls, lower medication use and enhanced patient behaviours.

“Since the implementation of the Butterfly Approach, spearheaded by Dr. Sudip Saha, Osler’s Medical Director of Seniors’ Health and Division Head of Geriatric Medicine, the model has demonstrated significant improvements in patient safety outcomes,” said Dr. Shailesh Nadkarni, Program Director, Seniors’ Health, William Osler Health System. “It’s a testament to the collaboration and dedication of our interprofessional teams.”

Osler also received CCHL’s 2025 Excellence in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Award, recognizing system-wide efforts to remove barriers and ensure equitable access to care. Through initiatives like the Underhoused Project, Patient Concierge Program and Integrated Health Justice Plan, Osler is working to support equity-deserving patients and families. Internally, it fosters inclusion through Employee Resource Groups, Indigenous ceremonies, and equity-focused training.

“Health Justice is not an initiative, it’s rooted in our organizational culture and Values,” said Yasir Khalid, Director of People-Centred Care and Health Justice, William Osler Health System. “We are intentionally building a system that recognizes every person’s dignity and removes systemic barriers to care and belonging.”

“These two honours reflect Osler’s deep commitment to putting patients first, whether by transforming how we care for people with dementia or ensuring all members of our community can access culturally-safe, compassionate care,” said Dr. Frank Martino, President and CEO, William Osler Health System. “We are incredibly proud of our teams for their innovation and leadership to create a safe and equitable health system that is aligned with our Vision: world-class health care inspired by our people and communities.”

“These awards are a powerful affirmation of the incredible work happening across Osler every day,” added Kiki Ferrari, Executive Vice President, and Chief Clinical Officer, William Osler Health System. “We are committed to creating a quality health system that is inclusive—and these recognitions further inspire us to continue driving positive change.”

The awards will be presented at CCHL’s Honouring Health Leadership event on June 15, 2025, as part of the CCHL National Awards Program which celebrates exceptional leadership and innovation in Canadian health care. Award sponsors include BD-Canada and Sodexo Canada Ltd.