October 20, 2023
CONCORD, NH – At its Annual Meeting recently held October 15 – 17, 2023, the Foundation for Healthy Communities (FHC) bestowed three awards of excellence to individuals and hospitals from across the state who have made significant contributions to the health care field in the areas of patient safety and quality of care, innovation and leadership.
“We were honored to recognize several individuals and hospitals who are going above and beyond to ensure that New Hampshire’s health care delivery system is patient centered and quality focused,” stated Peter Ames, executive director of the Foundation for Healthy Communities.
Below is a list of the recipients for the 2023 FHC Awards of Excellence:
Mass General Brigham Wentworth Douglass Hospital, Dover, was recognized with the Honoring Excellence in Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Award which honors a team of health care professionals who demonstrate a continued commitment to providing quality care to their patients, leading the charge for quality improvement, promoting transparency to improve health care, and achieving better outcomes through the implementation of a strong culture of safety. Mass General Brigham Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s team tackled the issue of cardiac conditions in obstetrical care with the aim to improve maternal health. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum people. Their focus improved evaluation of people while pregnant which ensured that almost all appropriate obstetrical patients received a cardiac referral within 72 hours of their first obstetrical appointment. The project demonstrated the essence of a culture of safety where multi-disciplinary problem solving, innovation and continuous improvement thrive to yield better results for patients.
Neil Meehan, MD, Chief Physician Executive, Exeter Hospital, was named the recipient of the FHC’s Innovator’s Award. The Innovator’s Award recognizes an individual or organization that demonstrated extraordinary ingenuity, creativity and skill in improving health and the award honors recipients for their leadership and outstanding achievement in advancing their goals. Dr. Meehan was recognized for his unwavering commitment to improve access to care for individuals with a substance use disorder. He championed health system changes in policy and practice to prioritize that patients receive substance use disorder treatment not only within his hospital but also through access to community-based resources. He ensured that individuals with lived experience were part of the development of education curriculum for the hospital staff. And, while this work made a big difference within his hospital, he is taking this work further and is championing the adoption of medication assisted treatment at every hospital emergency department in New Hampshire.
Concord Hospital received the Noah Lord Patient and Family Engagement Award. This award pays tribute to the memory of Noah Lord, who at the age of 4 and a half, died as a result of preventable medical errors. Noah’s mother, Tanya Lord, found that the circumstances surrounding Noah’s death provided many opportunities for health care improvement, including the importance of engaging patients and families at the bedside, as well as within the hospital’s structure. The Noah Lord Award was created to recognize innovative work being done in New Hampshire hospitals to better engage patients and families in improving health care. Concord Hospital has been focused on improving delirium care for patients. This system implemented movement and mobilization techniques, sleep safe protocols, virtual tools, and delirium order sets designed to help reduce the incidence of delirium and to help the delirious patient become more attentive. Concord Hospital also engaged families and caregivers in the design and implementation of the interventions and utilized them as partners in every stage of the project’s development.
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About the Foundation for Healthy Communities
The Foundation for Healthy Communities is a non-profit organization that builds healthier communities for all by leading partnerships, fostering collaboration, and creating innovative solutions to advance health and health care.
