Nova Scotia Health named recipient of the 2026 Excellence in Patient Safety Award
The Canadian College of Health Leaders is proud to announce that Nova Scotia Health’s Sepsis Action Improvement Team (AIT) was named recipient of the 2026 Excellence in Patient Safety Award, in recognition of its transformational work to redesign and dramatically improve the safety and reliability of sepsis care.
Confronted with baseline data showing that only 55% of Central Zone patients received antibiotics within the internationally recommended three‑hour window, the organization mobilized a truly interprofessional team (emergency physicians, nurses, pharmacists, educators, analysts, operational leaders, communications specialists, and patient and family advisors) to close this critical gap. Guided by evidence, co‑design, and Nova Scotia Health’s Improvement Approach, the AIT introduced innovative, scalable solutions such as a first‑of‑its‑kind care directive enabling nurses and paramedics to initiate the first dose of antibiotics, as well as standardized sepsis kits that support consistent implementation of the sepsis bundle. These efforts not only reduced variation and strengthened clinical decision‑making, but also embedded patient partnership, frontline leadership, and system‑level learning into every stage of the work.
The results have been remarkable and sustained. Time‑to‑antibiotics within three hours increased from 55% to 92% at initial sites and reached 82% across the Central Zone, demonstrating meaningful, measurable improvements in patient safety and system reliability. The initiative has since expanded to all Emergency Departments and Urgent Treatment Centres, supported by ongoing monitoring and a forthcoming provincial scorecard to ensure long‑term accountability. More than an improvement project, the Sepsis AIT’s work represents a fundamental shift in how Nova Scotia Health leads change: aligning senior leadership and frontline teams, integrating improvement into daily operations, and creating the conditions for safe care to occur consistently.
This Excellence in Patient Safety Award recognizes individuals and teams that are committed to improving patient safety practices within the healthcare environment, through leadership, culture, best practices, innovation and change management expertise.
The award is sponsored by BD-Canada, one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care.
This award is part of our CCHL National Awards Program and will be presented at the Honouring Health Leadership event on June 14, 2026.
For further information and/or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Christian Coulombe
Vice-President, Marketing & Membership
Canadian College of Health Leaders
613-235-7219, ext. 213
[email protected]