Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital recognized for advancing evidence-based care as a BPSO

TORONTO, April 10, 2026 /CNW/ - The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is celebrating Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital (TCIH) today for its commitment to fostering a culture where care is guided by the best available evidence.

"RNAO is proud to honour Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital and its progress as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization^® (BPSO^®). The team's dedication to patient- and family-centred care, strengthening safety practices and preventing harm from falls and pressure injuries reflects the tremendous work they've done," says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun, founder of the BPSO program. "Through staff education, interprofessional collaboration and strong leadership support, TCIH has shown that all health systems can successfully use research to improve everyday care."

As BPSOs, health service and academic institutions commit to implementing multiple RNAO best practice guidelines (BPG) to optimize health outcomes at the individual, organizational and health system levels. As part of the program, RNAO conducts site visits to assess each organization's progress. This week, Dr. Michelle Rey, director of RNAO's International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines Centre, visited TCIH to review the hospital's infrastructure, capacity building and implementation of BPGs. During the visit, RNAO also strengthened its Best Practice Champions Network^® (established in 2002) by facilitating training sessions to enhance staff capacity to sustain evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.

"This week's champions training equipped staff with practical tools to lead and support change as they implement new guidelines. By identifying facilitators and barriers for implementation, the team is even better positioned to improve health outcomes," says Rey. "I'm pleased with the significant progress TCIH has made over the past few years, including developing and delivering comprehensive educational plans, revising policies to align with RNAO's BPGs, and maintaining ongoing staff engagement through meetings, Intranet communications and social media."

Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital joined the BPSO program in 2021 to elevate the nursing standards across the hospital through evidence-based practices. In 2025, the hospital graduated as a BPSO after successfully implementing three BPGs: Person- and Family-Centred Care (now known as People-Centred Care), Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls and Assessment and Management of Pressure Injuries for the Interprofessional Team (now known as Pressure injury management: Risk assessment, prevention and treatment).

"I am immensely proud of this achievement and the dedication shown by our entire team in embedding evidence-based practice into everyday care," says BPSO lead Mikette Been, chief of clinical services at TCIH. "This recognition reflects not only our commitment to excellence, but also our shared vision of delivering safe patient- and family-centred care across Turks and Caicos Islands. We remain committed to sustaining this momentum and continuing to strengthen outcomes for those we serve."

In addition to celebrating its BPSO achievements, the hospital recently marked its 16^th anniversary, commemorating its service to the community. Building on its progress, TCIH will next implement the following BPGs: Transitions in Care and Services and Pain: Prevention, assessment and management.

"I am deeply proud of our team's achievement in attaining and sustaining our designation as a BPSO. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to advancing evidence-based care and ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality for our patients and their families," says TCIH CEO Dr. Denise Braithwaite–Tennant. "We are grateful to RNAO for its leadership, resources and global vision, which continue to strengthen nursing excellence in Canada and also across the Caribbean and internationally. Through this partnership, we remain inspired to build on our progress and deliver meaningful, lasting improvements in health outcomes for the people we serve."

RNAO's Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) Program is funded by Ontario's Ministry of Health. It was envisioned by CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun in 1998 and launched in 1999 to provide the best available evidence for people's care across all health sectors and settings, with more than 50 guidelines developed to date. The Best Practice Spotlight Organization^® (BPSO^®) program supports service and academic institutions that have formally agreed to implement multiple RNAO BPGs over a three-year period, and evaluate their impact on patients, organizations and health systems. Launched in 2003, the BPSO program now has more than 1,500 BPSOs in Ontario, Canada and internationally.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

For more information, please contact: Victoria Alarcon, Communications Officer/Writer Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) 1-800-268-7199 ext. 211 416-408-5610 [e-mail]; Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, 416-408-5605, 647-406-5605 (cell), [e-mail]