The call for submissions to the 2027 Patient Experience Awards is now open.
The Patient Experience Awards were established by Health Quality Alberta and its Patient and Family Advisory Committee to recognize and spread knowledge about initiatives that improve the patient’s overall experience in accessing and receiving healthcare services.
Up to four initiatives are recognized annually. Read about the 2026 award recipients here.
How do I apply for an award?
Applications will be accepted online from October 1 to November 16, 2026
The submission process occurs in two parts, described below. Review the user guide to help you prepare to apply online. Read our blog post: 10 tips for a strong submission.
Part A, due November 16, 2026, requires:
- A 500-word summary explaining how the initiative positively impacted specific element(s) of patient experience.
- Two statements of support from patients or family members who experienced care through your program that describe how the initiative delivered a positive patient experience.
Part B, for those who are shortlisted, is due in February 2027 and involves a 2,000-word detailed summary of the initiative.
Interested in learning more about the awards? Contact us at info@hqa.ca.
Who can apply or be nominated?
Any team in Alberta involved in designing and implementing an initiative that promotes a positive patient experience for Albertans in accessing or receiving healthcare services.
A successful applicant:
- Has evidence from the patient perspective that something needed to be changed.
- Engaged patients and/or their family members in the process to improve (including the evaluation).
- Can show how the experiences of patients and families have been improved by this approach or initiative. Different forms of evidence are accepted, from metrics to anecdotal lived experience.
What types of initiatives qualify?
Initiatives that have been implemented in any publicly funded healthcare setting including, but not only: primary care, acute care, home care, recovery, transitions in care, and continuing care. The initiatives that will be considered must show how they have made a positive impact on the patient experience from the perspective of patients themselves.
Read exemplars of successful applications from recent years:
- Incremental Dialysis (2024): A province-wide initiative offering a gentler, two-times/week approach to eligible patients starting dialysis.
- Calgary Zone Music Therapy (2025): Music therapy offered to patients and families in acute and palliative care settings as an alternative, nonpharmacological approach to pain management.
- Pediatric Interdisciplinary Neurodevelopmental Clinic at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital (2026): Assessments of children focused on understanding each child’s health and disability within their unique story and family history.
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Family Mentors Program (2026): A new, more sustainable model to provide peer support in the hospital for families of children with medical complexity.