They Are Cited For COVID-19 Response, Innovative Maternity Care Initiative
Kaleida Health in Buffalo, N.Y. and Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Il are the respective winners of the 2021 PIVOT and Innovation Of The Year Awards from DNV Healthcare USA Inc. The winner and finalists were announced and celebrated at DNV’s recent annual Symposium in Reno, Nevada.
The PIVOT award (Progressive, Innovative, Valuable, Opportune, and Transformative) is given to a hospital or healthcare system that quickly implements new ways to meet patient, community, and staff needs. It is a new award created specifically to recognize the extraordinary efforts hospitals put in place in responding to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The five-hospital Kaleida system – the largest in upstate New York – engaged in transformation of their operations coming together with others in the community to manage the overwhelming number of patients to be treated. As they pivoted their organization to respond, it was critical on how they effectively communicated internally and externally. They were innovative and decisive on how they handled the clinical care aspects, applying a risk-based approach and a focus on the wellness & resiliency of their staff. Among the actions taken were the collaborative efforts with others in their community involved turning an auto center into an indoor drive thru testing site, creating a relationship with a local community 503B compounding pharmacy to produce saccharin solution, and working with The University at Buffalo to develop predictive analytics on the WNY COVID-19 positive test rates to prepare leadership for COVID-19 inpatient surges. We are proud of Kaleida Health as they epitomize what we wanted to recognize with this award.
The Innovation Of The Year Award is given annually to a hospital or healthcare system that has developed an initiative that has been successfully implemented either within the institution or the community that it serves.
Advocate Sherman Hospital was recognized for its “I see you Baby” initiative. What started with an individual working on a project for installing a special camera in its labor and delivery department to keep mothers connected with their newborns, led staff and others to contribute in getting this in place. The perseverance of their efforts allowed mothers to view their newborns during the first 24 hours following birth so they would not miss the initial bonding experience due to restricted activity or infant special needs. Mothers who could virtually visualize their newborns reported decreased stress, increased bonding, and produced more breast milk than those without camera access. The initiative also led to improvements in Advocate’s hospital consumer assessment of healthcare providers and systems (HCAHPS) scores.
“The participants in both the PIVOT and Innovation Of The Year awards process all demonstrated innovation, responsiveness, and putting actions in place that improved hospital operations and the quality of care they provided to their patients,” said DNV Healthcare USA President Patrick Horine. “They should not only be lauded, but it is hoped that other members of the provider community adopt their initiatives as well. Patient care and outcomes can only improve by doing so.”
Officials from the winning hospitals are available for media interviews.
“We want to identify innovative practices and approaches to address aspects that improve quality, efficiency and enhance patient care,” says David Tellez, DNV’s leader of supply chain and product assurance in the Americas. “Our success is attributable to the unique approach we take with our hospital customers to use the quality management system to their advantage.”