Vidant Medical Center honored for commitment to quality | Eastern North Carolina Now

    For Immediate Release:

American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize Recognizes Hospital Leadership and Innovation in Quality Improvement and Safety

    GREENVILLE, NC     Vidant Medical Center was one of four U.S. hospitals recognized for its leadership and innovation in quality improvement and safety. The 2013 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize® was awarded to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, which will receive $75,000. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which serves patients and communities in the Greater Boston area, was selected by a multi-disciplinary committee of health care quality and patient safety experts based on its culture of quality and efforts to achieve the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) six quality aims for health care.

    Franklin Woods Community Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn., is being honored as a finalist and will receive $12,500. St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia, Ill. and Vidant Medical Center received Citations of Merit.

    The American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize is presented annually to honor leadership and innovation in quality improvement and safety. The prize is supported by a grant from the McKesson Corporation. The criteria for the 2013 award include demonstration of an organizational commitment to and progress in achieving the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) six quality aims - safety, patient-centeredness, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness and equity. One goal of the award is to honor hospitals that are making progress in quality improvement with models that can be replicated by others in the hospital field.

    "The AHA-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize spotlights an organization-wide commitment to highly reliable, patient-focused care provided with exceptional quality," said Rich Umbdenstock, AHA's President and CEO. "These hospitals supply lessons from which all hospitals can learn."

    "This award is more than just a wonderful recognition and a great achievement," said Steve Lawler, president, Vidant Medical Center. "It truly represents the high-quality care and superb service our employees deliver to our patients each and every day.

    Vidant Medical Center epitomizes patient and family-centered care by not only including patients and their families during the care process, but also in all aspects of hospital operations and improvement activities. Vidant has strong executive leadership and active governance engagement in quality improvement.

    About the AHA

    The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information visit the Web site at www.aha.org.

    About McKesson Corporation

    McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 14th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 177-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com .

    Contact: Beth Anne Atkins, Vidant Health Strategic Development, (252) 847-7735 or beth.atkins@VidantHealth.com

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com