World-renowned Best Practice Spotlight Organization program celebrates 20 years of optimizing health outcomes and transforming care delivery

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2023 /CNW/ - For 20 years, the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) has promoted evidence-based care locally, nationally and internationally through its Best Practice Spotlight Organization^® (BPSO^®) designation program. To celebrate its growth and global impact, RNAO is hosting 250 partners in person and by invitation only to the BPSO Knowledge Exchange Symposium from Sept. 20 - 22 in Toronto. Hundreds of international partners will be also joining virtually. 

BPSOs sign agreements committing to implement, evaluate and sustain multiple RNAO best practice guidelines (BPG), two of which are mandatory for all BPSOs: Person- and Family-Centred Care and Transitions in Care and Services, and others which are selected based on the organization's needs (e.g., Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls). "We congratulate and thank each and every organization for their dedication to improving patients' experiences and health outcomes, reducing costs by following best practices to prevent complications, and ensuring frontline staff experience a sense of accomplishment and meaning in the care they deliver," says Dr. Doris Grinspun, RNAO CEO and founder of the BPSO program.

Starting with seven organizations in Ontario and expanding to more than 1,500 globally, the BPSO program has evolved into an international social movement of science. BPSOs are in all sectors and settings, including public health, primary care, hospital care, home care and long-term care. There are also Indigenous-focused BPSOs, academic BPSOs, BPSO-Ontario Health Teams and more. With support from RNAO and its global network, health professionals implement recommendations from the association's more than 50 BPGs, and evaluate their impact on patients, organizations and health systems.

"We are thrilled to welcome representatives from provincial, national and international BPSOs to our annual symposium to network, share, learn and celebrate their dedication to implementing and sustaining best practices in patient care," adds Grinspun. BPSOs are transforming care through evidence-based practice and robust staff engagement. Interprofessional teams and work environments thrive as change agents for better care and stronger health systems.

During the three-day hybrid event, representatives from hundreds of BPSOs will share their organizations' experiences providing data-driven, person-centred care while implementing, evaluating and sustaining best practice cultures. Attendees will also hear from Stan Cho, Ontario's new minister of long-term care.

"We are proud of how much the BPSO program continues to grow. We've fostered a strong collective identity of champions who are committed to using evidence to enhance the experience and care of patients and their families," says Heather McConnell, director of the International Affairs and BPG Centre. "The path forward is one filled with knowledge sharing and true health system transformation – and RNAO is proud to support organizations in Ontario, Canada and across the world every step of the way. We can't wait to celebrate this 20-year milestone with both our BPSOs at home and abroad."

Media are invited to attend the event or watch the livestream of the plenary sessions via RNAO's YouTube channel. Reporters who would like to interview an RNAO representative or attend all or a portion of the symposium can reach out to one of the contacts listed below.

RNAO's Best Practice Guideline (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 patient care across all health sectors and settings, with more than 50 guidelines developed to date. The Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) program supports health 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 system outcomes. 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 and Instagram.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

Madison Scaini, Communications Officer/Writer, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 274, 416-408-5645, [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]