A protocol designed to make high-risk patient transfers safer has earned King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah the first-ever Global Patient Safety Award from Joint Commission International (JCI), in the Healthcare Organization category for 2026. The Safe Transport Evaluation Protocol (STEP) was developed by the hospital's Ambulance Services.

The Jeddah hospital was one of just three winners in its category worldwide, picked from more than 250 entries submitted by healthcare providers and national health bodies in 32 countries.

STEP began with something paramedics noticed on the job: some patients were coming back to the Emergency Department within seven days of being transferred or discharged. The causes included unfinished treatment, deterioration that went unnoticed once the discharge order was issued, and test results left out of care plans. Since the protocol was introduced, seven-day returns have dropped from 24% to 9%.

Under STEP, transport is treated as the final safeguard for the patient rather than a logistical task. For each transfer request, a paramedic checks the electronic medical record, carries out an independent clinical assessment, reviews handover notes and diagnostic findings, and listens to companions and relatives just before the patient is moved.

Hanadi Al Salmi, Director of Allied Medical Services at the Jeddah hospital, said the award shows the institution's focus on keeping patients safe throughout their care, including transfers between medical units, through better coordination and communication among teams.

The award goes to healthcare organizations outside the United States and is judged by an international panel of patient safety experts on innovation, effectiveness, scalability, sustainability and transferability. KFSH was ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 12th worldwide among the top 250 academic medical centers for 2026.