Dear Sir,I am writing to correct an error in the business column written by Mr Nathan Kowalski in The Royal Gazette on Monday, November 21, who assumed that BHB is not accredited because it is not on the Joint Commission International (JCI) website. Bermuda Hospitals Board is accredited by Accreditation Canada, and all our services are measured to the same accreditation standard as hospitals in Canada. Accreditation Canada measures organisations against over 2,600 standards. In fact, we have just had confirmation that we have achieved the highest level of accreditation, something fewer than 20 percent of Canada's top hospitals achieve. JCI and Accreditation Canada are both accredited by the same body, called ISQua (the International Society of Quality Healthcare). One of the reasons BHB doesn't use JCI for its hospital-wide accreditation is because Accreditation Canada allows us go through same accreditation process as Canadian hospitals, which gives a better benchmark for how our quality compares internationally. JCI uses a different set of standards for its accreditation process overseas; it is not the same as those used by US hospitals.In additional to the hospital-wide process, specific areas have decided to seek specialist accreditation. This is provided by JCI for our Pathology Department and by the American College of Radiology for our Mammography Department. Our Hyperbaric Service goes through an International Risk Assessment and is endorsed as a preferred provider by the Divers Alert Network. Our acute services also have clinical partnerships with East Coast US hospitals, including Lahey Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and the Partners Healthcare System which includes Massachusetts's General, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Spaulding. MWI is approved as a City & Guild Learning Centre, is recognised by the Royal Society of Psychiatrists as a training site for psychiatric residents and has a clinical partnership with Howard University.We recognise that as Bermuda's only hospital it is very important we constantly strive to improve the quality of our care and can demonstrate that the services we provide are at an international standard. We are passionate about providing our community with an internationally-measured, high standard of care.JUDY RICHARDSONChief of Nursing, Quality & RiskBermuda Hospitals Board