The Ottawa Heart Institute is a leading academic health sciences organization dedicated exclusively to cardiovascular care. The Heart Institute serves nearly two million people across the Ottawa East Champlain region, Western Quebec, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
At the heart of this work is the Cardiac Imaging Department, a high-volume, highly specialized program that plays a critical role in diagnosis and treatment planning for complex cardiac conditions. The department operates 19 echocardiography rooms daily and delivers a full suite of advanced imaging services, including Stress Echo, Transesophageal Echocardiography, and Transthoracic Echocardiography. Its team includes 30 cardiac sonographers, 15 reporting physicians, 4 fellows, and 10 cardiology residents, and it provides clinical training placements for cardiac sonography students across Ontario.
Each year, the department performs more than 30,000 transthoracic echocardiograms, 1,400 transesophageal echocardiograms, and 700 stress echocardiography studies. These services support care for patients with valve disease, adult congenital heart conditions, cardiac devices, advanced heart failure, and those seen through rapid access clinics.
Since 2021, the Ottawa Heart Institute has been accredited under Accreditation Canada Diagnostics’ Echocardiography Quality Improvement (EQI) Program.
Why Accreditation? A Commitment to Quality and National Standards
The Ottawa Heart Institute pursued accreditation with Accreditation Canada to align its practices with national, evidence-informed standards.
Jeffrey Walsh, Profession Lead in the Cardiac Imaging department explains:
“Being accredited helps us improve the quality, safety, and consistency of the echocardiography services we provide. The decision was driven by our commitment to patient care and maintaining national standards.”
Accreditation provides external validation that care is consistent, reliable, and aligned with best practices across Canada.
How Accreditation Shapes Care Quality
According to Jeffrey, accreditation plays a central role in continuous quality improvement. Accreditation is essential. It ensures that we uphold national standards and provides continuous evaluation of our service. This enables us to keep improving the care offered by the Heart Institute.
The accreditation framework promotes systematic review, accountability, and sustainable improvement, all of which are critical to high‑performing imaging labs.
Impact of Accreditation on Care Quality and Safety
Partnering with Accreditation Canada has had a measurable impact on departmental performance. Jeffrey notes: “Accreditation has provided a framework for us to standardize practice, identify gaps, and maintain ongoing accountability.”
As a result, the department has achieved:
- Greater consistency in imaging and reporting
- Improved accuracy in echocardiograms
- Stronger internal processes and policies
- Enhanced safety through fewer repeat studies
Jeffrey also acknowledges a common misconception about accreditation: “There’s a misconception that accreditation is designed to fail institutions—it’s actually designed to improve service.”
Since beginning its accreditation journey, the Heart Institute has seen meaningful improvements, including stronger adherence to imaging standards, greater consistent reporting, more accurate assessments of cardiac structures, and better patient outcomes driven by improved diagnostic precision.
Accreditation has also strengthened the team itself. Jeffrey shares: “We’ve strengthened staff training by promoting adherence to the most current echo guidelines,” Jeffrey shares. “Knowing our lab meets national quality standards has positively impacted morale.”
The Power of EQI Requirements: A Specific Success Story
One of the most significant outcomes came from standards, which reinforced consistent protocol adherence across the lab. Jeffrey explains: “EQI Standards, specifically the imaging requirements ensured all required images and measurements are consistently acquired. This reduced the need for repeat studies and improved patient care.”
With better standardization, echocardiograms are more complete, accurate, and reliable, ultimately strengthening diagnostic decision‑making.
Preparing Teams for Accreditation Success
For health care organizations beginning their accreditation journey, the Heart Institute offers three practical recommendations:
- Be transparent about the process so teams understand expectations and purpose.
- Encourage self‑assessment to identify strengths and opportunities early
- Involve the entire team to build shared ownership of quality improvement.
A Partner in Quality
Accreditation Canada Diagnostics is proud to partner with organizations such as the Ottawa Heart Institute, whose commitment to high-quality care aligns with our mission. We remain dedicated to supporting organizations across Canada on their journey towards excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement in patient care.