AdventHealth, Henderson County Dept. of Public Health receive recognition

Highlighting the Health Roundup this week are AdventHealth Hendersonville and the Henderson County Department of Public Health, which both were recognized for their services.

AdventHealth was named a Top General Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that has collected, analyzed, and published data on safety and quality in order to push the health care industry forward for more than 20 years, according to LeapFrogGroup.org.

The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive, according to a news release from AdventHealth. Top Hospital award winners were honored Dec. 6 at the 2022 Leapfrog Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.

“We are so proud of our team and their incredible dedication to quality and safety in all they do to care for people across our community. The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is national recognition for what is at the heart of our culture here at AdventHealth Hendersonville,” said Brandon Nudd, President and Chief Executive Officer for AdventHealth Hendersonville, in the news release.

The Leapfrog Group considered more than 2,200 hospitals for the award, which was given to 115 hospitals nationwide.

“Achieving Top Hospital requires us to really get it right across the board,” said Gretchen Nicholson, Director of Office of Collaborative Improvement for AdventHealth Hendersonville, in the release. “We maintain our strong support of safety culture across our teams through many efforts including nursing and clinical team debriefs and safe staffing level tracking with daily huddles.”

To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety and achieve top performance in its category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2022 Top Hospitals, visit leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.

“We are honored to recognize AdventHealth Hendersonville as a Top Hospital this year,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, in the release. “AdventHealth Hendersonville has demonstrated that they truly put patients first. We congratulate the board, staff and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible.”

For more information about AdventHealth Hendersonville or to find a physician, visit AdventHealthNC.com or call 855-774-LIFE (5433).

Health Department awarded reaccreditation status

The Henderson County Department of Public Health was recently awarded reaccreditation status with honors by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board, according to a news release. Henderson County underwent a successful reaccreditation process, required by all health departments every four years in North Carolina, to assure appropriate capacity and required services.

Henderson County was among 11 agencies to earn the “with honors” distinction, which recognizes agencies thatexcelled in their assessment by missing one or fewer activities within each of the five standards set by the NCLHDA program.

“Achieving reaccreditation with honors exemplifies the dedication and hard work of the Henderson County Board of Health and our public health staff to provide quality services and support for our residents,” said Health Director Steve Smith in the news release. “Through reaccreditation, we demonstrate our continued commitment to promote, protect and advance the health and wellness of our community.”

The process of accreditation includes three major components — a self-assessment completed by the agency, a site visit by a multidisciplinary team of peers to review performance standards and determination of accreditation status by an independent accreditation board comprised of state and local public health officials, board of health members, county commissioners and public members.

“All of the agencies recently achieving reaccreditation have much to be proud of,” said Amy Belflower Thomas, NC Local Health Department Accreditation Administrator, in the release. “They have not only demonstrated their ability to meet a set of important performance standards, but excelled in many areas. Through reaccreditation, these agencies demonstrate a strong commitment to continuously work to improve the quality of services provided to their respective communities.”

According to the release, Henderson County will hold its accreditation with honors status for the next four years before the next cycle takes place.

Delta Dental of NC Foundation to award funds

According to a news release, nonprofits in Henderson County will now have the chance to get much-needed funds to promote and provide oral care for children. Delta Dental of North Carolina has announced its Foundation will award up to $130,000 to organizations across the state that specifically focus on children’s oral health, particularly among populations who are underserved.

The grant is called Smiles for Kids and is a 50% increase in giving from last year and the largest year of giving to date, the release said. That increase is to try and reach all 100 counties in state, especially those that have not applied in the past, including Henderson County.

“Tooth decay is the most common, chronic childhood disease, and children in North Carolina are three times more likely to miss school due to oral health-related issues,” said Curt Ladig, chief executive officer of Delta Dental of North Carolina, in the release. “This year, we are delighted that our level of available funding has grown so that we might help more children who are lacking in resources receive better access to dental care and oral health education.” Over the last 11 years, the Foundation has received applications from and granted awards to organizations representing 40% of the counties in North Carolina. “I would like to see the Smiles for Kids program grow to impact oral health initiatives in all 100 counties in the state,” said Ladig.

Applications will be accepted now through Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. For applications, grant guidelines and more details, visit www.deltadentalnc.com/smilesforkids.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Contact him at dhensley@gannett.com or by calling 828-694-7868.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Health roundup: AdventHealth, Henderson Co. Dept. of Health recognized