Allina Hospitals & Clinics receives three prestigious Minnesota Hospital Association awards
Awards commemorate exemplary leadership, positive workplace environment and innovations in patient care
MINNEAPOLIS 01/16/2008--Allina President and CEO Dick Pettingill and two Allina hospitals were recognized at the Minnesota Hospital Association's (MHA) 2007 awards presentation in Plymouth, Minn., on Friday, Jan. 11. Each year, the MHA recognizes caregivers, administrators, volunteers and others whose outstanding contributions improved health care in their hospitals and across the state. Winners are selected by a panel of independent judges.
- Pettingill received the Spirit of Advocacy Award for his leadership on the passage of the Freedom to Breathe Act, the founding of the Minnesota Health Information Exchange and programs designed to improve health and combat childhood obesity.
- Buffalo Hospital was recognized as Best Minnesota Hospital Workplace in the small hospital category.
- Owatonna Hospital received Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award in the small hospital category for its Cardiac Heart Failure Initiative.
"We're incredibly proud to be recognized for the contributions our employees make each and every day to improving our workplaces, the patient care we deliver and the communities in which we live," says Pettingill. "These awards help remind and inspire us to continue looking for ways to positively impact the health of our community by improving what we do and how we do it."
Dick Pettingill: Spirit of Advocacy Award
The Minnesota Hospital Association's Spirit of Advocacy Award honors an MHA member who has provided leadership within his or her organization and served in key roles with the MHA governance structure during the year. Dick Pettingill received this award for using his role as the leader of Allina to champion causes that make significant improvements in the health of our community.
The passage of the Freedom to Breathe legislation was a significant achievement for both the state and Pettingill last year. Pettingill's dedication to this effort was widely viewed as essential to its success. In addition to this effort, Pettingill supported the development of the Minnesota Health Information Exchange, the purpose of which is to guide standards and prompt the linkage of health information technology, including electronic medical record systems, on a state-wide level. Through these efforts, consumers will realize many powerful benefits, including improved health quality, increased patient safety, reduced health care costs and improved overall public health.
Lastly, under his stewardship, Allina has championed several programs designed to improve heart health and combat childhood obesity, including the Heart Healthy Living Initiative, the Heart Safe Communities program, DAAN and Power Hour, to name a few.
Buffalo Hospital: Best Minnesota Hospital Workplace (Small Hospital)
The Best Minnesota Hospital Workplace Award is designed to honor hospitals that "go the extra mile" in enhancing employee satisfaction through basic or creative retention strategies. Buffalo Hospital has done that by creating opportunities for increased two-way communication, recognition and fun activities designed to make the hospital a great workplace. Efforts like these are why Buffalo has been honored with this award three times since 2000.
Buffalo Hospital leaders make monthly rounds with staff to recognize successes, identify improvement opportunities and build connections with staff. The senior team also delivers a newspaper to patients daily. The hospital supports a culture rich in recognition and encourages peer-to-peer recognition. In addition, a variety of fun events are hosted throughout the year, ranging from an "Eggstravaganza" egg hunt to pumpkin decorating contests.
The approach works. The hospital's turnover rate in the last two years averaged approximately 14 percent, compared with an industry average of 20 percent. And 69 percent of employees in a 2006 survey said they say positive things about their work experience, are striving beyond what is expected and are committed to continuing their career at Buffalo Hospital. This exceeds the industry average of 50 percent, placing Buffalo Hospital in Hewitt's "Best Employers Range" of 60 percent engagement and higher.
Owatonna Hospital: Innovation of the Year in Patient Care (Small Hospital)
The Innovation of the Year Award honors hospitals and health systems that have developed or implemented creative, new methods and models for the delivery of patient care. Owatonna Hospital was awarded this honor for its Cardiac Heart Failure Initiative, which was done in collaboration with Owatonna Clinic – Mayo Health System. The initiative is designed to enhance care for patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF or heart failure) by providing inpatient and outpatient treatment and education to help them live longer, more rewarding lives.
As part of this initiative, new methods for delivering enhanced care to patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure were introduced to reduce readmission to the hospital. Both the hospital and clinic use standardized education materials that explain the evidence-based measures to patients. The hospital also modified its discharge instructions to refer heart-failure patients to the clinic upon their dismissal. This helps ensure congestive heart failure patients return to the clinic for follow-up in a timely manner to receive additional education and early intervention, if needed.
The results of Owatonna's congestive heart failure program to-date are impressive. CHF patients' 30-day readmission rates have dropped from a baseline of 14 percent in fourth quarter of 2006 to zero percent since third quarter 2007. In addition, providers have been delivering care to the CHF patients according to optimal care guidelines.
About Allina Hospitals & Clinics
Allina Hospitals & Clinics is a not-for-profit health care system of hospitals, clinics and other patient care services that provides exceptional care to communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin and employs more than 22,000 people. Allina Hospitals & Clinics facilities, services and jobs can be found online at www.allina.com.
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Related Links
Allina Hospitals & Clinics: Community benefit and involvement
Buffalo Hospital named Best Minnesota Hospital Workplace for the third time
Owatonna Hospital wins Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award
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