State hospitals claim safety awards
Jan. 11—ATLANTA — The Georgia Hospital Association Partnership for Health and Accountability honored several hospitals around the state with prestigious Patient Safety and Quality Award. These hospitals were recognized for demonstrating significant patient safety and quality improvement through projects of their choosing. The awards recognize Georgia health care organizations for achievement in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes.
The first-place winners of each category are:
Elbert Memorial Hospital in Elberton won in the Critical Access Hospitals category for its project that improved accurate and timely communication of critical lab results.
Habersham Medical Center in Demorest won in the Hospital With Less than 100 Beds category for its project that improved overall patient experience, leading to improved patient safety.
Wellstar Hospital in Douglasville won in the Hospitals With 100-299 Beds category for its project that helped patients increase their mobility in the ICU, a practice that is proven to improve patient outcomes.
Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta won in the Hospitals With Greater Than 300 Beds category for its project that helped reduce post-operative emergency department visits from bariatric surgery patients.
Shepherd Center in Atlanta won in the Specialty Hospitals category for its project that helped its patient population eliminate pressure ulcers from improper footwear.
Emory Healthcare in Atlanta won in the Hospitals/Health Systems category for its project that improved the care of stroke patients.
In the competitive Josh Nahum Award for Infection Prevention and Control category, Emory University Hospital Midtown won for its project that reduced surgical site infections.
Additionally, hospitals that won an award this year and have won three or more Patient Safety and Quality Awards within the previous five years received the distinguished Circle of Excellence Award. AdventHealth Redmond in Rome; Habersham Medical Center; Wellstar Douglas Hospital; Wellstar Health System in Marietta; Atrium Health Navicent in Macon; and Atlanta hospitals Emory Healthcare, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Northside Hospital, and Shepherd Center earned this award.
"We congratulate these patient safety and quality award winners and thank them for their dedication," Earl Rogers, President and CEO of GHA, said in a news release. "It's important to remember that, even in the midst of a COVID-19 surge, hospitals continue to treat patients with non-COVID medical issues and provide essential services to keep communities well. COVID has disrupted standard protocols in many ways, but our hospitals have adapted as needed and without hesitation to continue to be places of hope and healing."
