The HIROC Just Culture and Patient Safety Culture Award
Purpose:
This award was established with the generous support of the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC), the insurer for Ontario midwives. It recognizes the commitment to “just culture” and “patient safety culture” by students who identify as Indigenous, Black or racialized. Just culture and patient safety culture are terms that refer to the culture of health-care organizations that support teamwork and the delivery of safe care.
This award was first offered in 2019.
Value:
$5,000 divided between up to three students of the Midwifery Education Program.
Eligibility:
To be eligible, the applicant must:
- Be a student with lived experience as an Indigenous, Black or racialized, and have financial need
- Be enrolled as an undergraduate student in the Midwifery Education Program
- Have clear Academic Standing with no disciplinary notices on file
- Be a Canadian citizen, or a landed immigrant, or a protected person; and a resident of Ontario
- Have completed at least one inter-professional placement in the Midwifery Education Program
- Have not received a HIROC Just Culture and Patient Safety Culture Award previously
Application Process:
The student must submit proof of academic eligibility. One letter of support for the student’s application from a member of the midwifery community must accompany the application. Letters cannot be written by AOM Staff, Board, Quality, Insurance, and Risk Management (QIRM) Committee members or those Racial Equity Committee (REC) members who are involved with reviewing applications. The letter should include a description of a time when the student displayed an understanding of and contribution to just culture (score out of 20). The student must also include a reflective essay of no more than 500 words on just culture or patient safety culture, which may include reflections on how teamwork, communication, collaboration, and midwife well-being may support safe health care. The essay will be scored as follows: understanding of just culture or patient safety culture (score out of 30); personal reflection on just culture or patient safety culture (score out of 30); description of self as contributor to just culture or patient safety culture (score out of 30).
This award will be granted in the autumn every year.
The deadline for applications is September 2, 2022.
Selection:
Recipients of this award will be decided by the Board of Directors of the Association of Ontario Midwives, by recommendation of the Quality, Insurance and Risk Management Committee and members of the Racial Equity Committee.