Allina’s Owatonna Hospital receives national award for providing excellent care to pneumonia patients
OWATONNA, Minn. 05/05/2008--Allina's Owatonna Hospital received the 2008 VHA Leadership Award for Clinical Excellence in treating hospitalized patients with pneumonia at the VHA's Leadership Conference in Philadelphia, Penn., May 4. Accepting the award on behalf of Owatonna Hospital was Bea Oberg, RN; Brian Bunkers, MD and CEO of Owatonna Clinic-Mayo Health System; and Simon Mittal, MD and VMPA of Owatonna Hospital.
VHA Inc., a national health care alliance, honors organizations that have distinguished themselves from other VHA members by achieving national performance standards in specific clinical categories. VHA serves more than 1,400 hospitals nationwide. Owatonna is one of only 20 VHA members to receive the award for pneumonia care.
"This award validates the dedicated focus of our hospital clinical staff and physicians to pursue excellence in the care provided to our patients," said Dorothy Erdmann, president of Owatonna Hospital.
Optimum care is when pneumonia patients have received all of the care listed below:
1. Patient receives influenza vaccination
2. Staff conducts initial antibiotic selection for community-acquired pneumonia in immunocompetent patients, special care unit (SCU) patients and non-SCU patients
3. Patient receives oxygenation assessment
4. Patient (adults) receives smoking cessation advice/counseling
5. Patient receives pneumococcal vaccination
6. Patients are administered initial antibiotic within six hours of hospital arrival
7. Patients have a blood culture conducted within 24-hours prior to or after hospital arrival and before administration of first antibiotic, if applicable
"Proper prevention and treatment of pneumonia saves lives and health care dollars," said Trent Haywood, M.D., J.D., chief medical officer at VHA. "Owatonna Hospital is a shining example of what can be achieved when a hospital's actions are guided by the pursuit of clinical excellence."
Owatonna is ranked in the top 10 percent of the nation for the Clinical Excellence Award. The organization sustained the highest level of improvement for third quarter 2006 through fourth quarter 2007. Awards were based on data submitted to Joint Commission.
Allina’s Mercy Hospital also was presented with two VHA Leadership Awards for Supply Chain Management in the categories of Distribution, Logistics and Inventory Management, and Innovation and Creativity.
About Owatonna Hospital
Owatonna Hospital is connected to the current Owatonna Clinic-Mayo Health System 26th Street location, off Interstate 35, creating a health care campus. The facility was designed to create an environment for providing high quality, safe, patient-centered care for residents in the region.
Owatonna Hospital and Allina Hospitals & Clinics are taking a leadership role to promote healthy eating and physical activity through their heart healthy living and obesity initiatives with an emphasis on childhood obesity. Over the next five years, Allina and Owatonna Hospital will be working with community organizations to improve nutrition and increase physical activity to decrease obesity and improve heart health.
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