Top row, L to R: Janyce Bridges and Trena Dagenhart, South Peninsula Hospital LTC Team; Morgan Jones, CNM, Certified Nurse Midwife, Maniilaq Health Center; Dr. Romel Wrenn, Director - Porter Heart & Vascular Center, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Bottom row, L to R: Jeanette Lacey, Bartlett Regional Hospital MVP Care Team; Denali Unit, Alaska Psychiatric Institute; Codi Allen, Project Manager, Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center
Congratulations to the 2023 AHHA Healthcare Champions!
Nominations are solicited each year from hospitals and long-term care facilities across the state for the annual AHHA Healthcare Champion Awards. These awards encourage, recognize, and reward individuals and teams taking progressive and effective steps to improve patient care and are given across the following three categories:
The Front-Line Staff Outstanding Performance Award recognizes an individual or team at a hospital or long-term care facility that has demonstrated above-and-beyond safety related performance in the workplace. This includes a wide range of workers such as nurses, nursing assistants, housekeepers, medical assistants, dietary service workers, and a host of others who work 24/7 to provide care.
The Golden Stethoscope Award recognizes an advance practice provider or physician who consistently demonstrates their commitment to supporting and/or leading efforts that result in measurable improvements in the delivery of safe patient care.
The Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality Award recognizes hospitals and/or long-term care facilities that have developed and implemented an innovative safety and/or quality process, project, or program, with measurably improved outcomes. This may include initiatives that integrate high-reliability principles, address social determinants of health and health equity, enhance patient family engagement, or contribute to workforce development.
In addition, when special circumstances warrant, AHHA's staff has the opportunity to give two awards to recognize extraordinary service in addition to the award categories listed above.
The Paton Award is given in honor of Dr. William Paton, MD an Orthopedic surgeon with the Alaska Native Tribal Consortium who has practiced orthopedic medicine for over forty years. In 2022, AHHA established a new category of recognition in his honor, the Paton Award, to recognize physicians with 40 years or greater of medical service to Alaska residents.
The Beacon Award recognizes an individual or a team whose work has made a notable impact by shedding light on an issue, or by helping to address a significant need within Alaska's healthcare delivery system.
A selection committee selects awardees from among the pool of nominees each year and the awards are presented at AHHA's annual conference in September.
Congratulations to all of the 2023 awardees who we honor for their work as front-line staff, providers, and healthcare teams improving patient safety and quality care across Alaska. Please take a moment to watch this short clip (created by ARM Creative) introducing each of this year's awardees.
Learn more about all of the awardees and their incredible impact at alaskahha.org/awards.