Ten programs—each one exceptional in setting new standards for giving back to their communities—were named Programs of Excellence by the Hospital Charitable Service Awards, an annual program sponsored by Jackson Healthcare.

Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) February 20, 2012

At a banquet that was the culmination of the national Hospital Charitable Service Conference, each program was presented with a $10,000 investment toward their growth. This year’s conference featured a keynote speech by Julie Trocchio, Senior Director of Community Benefit and Continuing Care Ministries of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. The conference focused on “return on invested giving,” which carefully documents the amount of good a hospital program achieves with donated funds.

The charitable programs designated “Programs of Excellence,” were chosen from 197 nominees. They are:

•     ARCHES Project, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Featuring education, advocacy and screening, the program works to serve community residents who experience the greatest disparities in health status and access.

•     CARE Maternal/Child Health Clinic, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise, Idaho. To meet medical and cultural needs of the area’s refugee community, the clinic provides prenatal, pediatric and primary medical care and enhances communication with healthcare providers.
•     CFI Lexington Community Fitness Initiative, Lexington Regional Health Center, Lexington, Nebraska. Focusing on children in kindergarten though fifth grade, the initiative teaches nutrition and exercise, and fosters positive lifestyle changes.
•     Diabeticos Saludables (Healthy Diabetics), Memorial Hospital of South Bend, South Bend, Indiana. Case managers help “hard-to-reach” diabetics of diverse backgrounds get treatment and learn about their disease.
•     Forensic Nurse Examiner Program, St. Mary’s Hospital, Richmond, Virginia. Specially trained nurses serve victims of sexual or physical abuse, from the time a crime is reported through its prosecution with well-focused continuity of care.
•     Healthier Laramie County, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming. By providing medical care, medications and dental services, the program benefits people who have little or no access to healthcare.
•     Homeless Initiative, Cook Children’s Healthcare System, Fort Worth, Texas. The initiative assists homeless people by furnishing healthcare and education to strengthen patients’ health and allow them to emerge from a cycle of illness on the streets.
•     Memorial FIT Kids Program, Memorial Healthcare, Owosso, Michigan. Teaching lessons about food and exercise, the program works to instill good habits with children before problems develop.
•     The Breathmobile Program: LAC + USC Pediatric Asthma Disease Management Program (PADMAP), Los Angeles County & University of Southern California Healthcare Network, Los Angeles, California. Four mobile asthma clinics bring much-needed regular treatment to low-income children who can’t afford doctors and medicine.
•     The Concussion Program, Children’s Hospital of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado. By training coaches and parents to recognize signs of concussion, the program reduces the risk that student athletes will get injured again while a head injury is healing.

“These programs demonstrate an overwhelming compassion for those in the community who don’t have access to adequate and timely healthcare,” said Charles R. Evans, FACHE, Chairman of the Hospital Charitable Service Awards Program. “They stand out among many great charitable initiatives by impacting their communities in tangible, remarkable and unmistakable ways.”

Jackson Healthcare instituted the Hospital Charitable Service Awards in 2010 to identify such programs, share their stories and make them models for other programs. Jackson Healthcare also uses the awards to cultivate a community of charitable hospitals that want to encourage and learn from one another, and establish best practices.

Each nominee had to demonstrate excellence in at least one of the following five criteria areas: community impact, innovation, collaboration, transferability and best practice.

Jackson Healthcare will publish an eBook highlighting each of the ten program winners. For more information about the Programs of Excellence and the Awards Program, visit HospitalCharitableServiceAwards.org.

About Jackson Healthcare

Jackson Healthcare is the fourth largest healthcare staffing company in the U.S. and serves more than three million patients in over one thousand healthcare facilities. The company also provides technology solutions that enable total hospital efficiency. Jackson Healthcare has earned national media coverage by providing innovative solutions to healthcare problems, in addition to championing local, national and international charitable work. It has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for five consecutive years. Visit JacksonHealthcare.com to learn more.

About the Hospital Charitable Service Awards

The Hospital Charitable Service Awards is a national program sponsored by Jackson Healthcare. It recognizes hospitals whose commitment to their community - whether defined locally, regionally, nationally or globally - goes beyond "community benefit" and "free care" and has led to innovative efforts to improve community health and increase access to healthcare education and services. All hospital-funded charitable programs are eligible to participate regardless of the size, tax or ownership model. Visit HospitalCharitableServiceAwards.org to learn more.

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Keith Jennings
Jackson Healthcare
678.690.7942
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