This Simcoe County hospital awarded a gold star from national health standards organization

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ont. (Siobhan Morris/CTV News)

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) has been awarded the highest performance designation from Accreditation Canada by receiving the 'exemplary standing'.

The decision followed a four-day visit in early February by external Accreditation Canada surveyors, during which every aspect of RVH's programs, policies and practices were carefully assessed.

"Accreditation provides independent, third-party confirmation that we continue to be a safe, quality organization," said Gail Hunt, RVH president and CEO. "It sends a clear, strong message to our region that patients can have great confidence in the care they receive at RVH.

"It's a testament to the dedication, knowledge and skill of the people who work, practise, volunteer and learn at RVH."

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox

The health centre was evaluated on approximately 2,700 standards resulting in a near-perfect score.

Surveyors determined RVH met 100 per cent of the required organizational practices and 99.4 per cent of the accreditation standards.

The surveyors were particularly impressed with RVH's efforts to:

• Involve patients and families in decision making
• The health centre's unwavering focus on quality and safety
• It's well-maintained, clean building
• A comprehensive emergency preparedness plan
• Dedication to research and ethical decision-making
• Leading clinical practices