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KishHealth System recognized employees, teams, and departments who have demonstrated significant achievements toward the health system’s organizational goals in the areas of Service, People, Quality, Finance and Growth at the 13th annual Employee Recognition Banquet on May 11.
It was the ninth year for the Pillar Awards of Excellence, which recognize those who show sustainability of results, a one-time major organizational contribution that has a major impact on a Pillar with above and beyond performance. All are role models of KishHealth System’s values and standards of behavior and were selected by a committee comprised of administration, human resources and service excellence.
Service Pillar Award
The Service Pillar Award was presented to the Maternity Suites Department of Valley West Hospital. This caring and talented team offers personalized care that is unmatched. Their success in consistently achieving high patient satisfaction scores is directly related to their dedication and the caring manner in which they approach patients.
Quality Pillar Award
The Quality Pillar Award was presented to Virginia “Ginny” Nash, an outstanding pharmacist dedicated to patient care and clinical excellence. Nash was described as “a highly valuable member of the KishHealth System team” who “goes above and beyond what is asked in the areas of service, innovation, and quality, who consistently demonstrates passion for patient care.”
People Pillar Award
The health system’s People Pillar Award was presented to the Operating Room Kaizen Team, including team members Lisa Ackland, Deb Angel, Kathleen Beetz, Karen Black, Xuyen Do, Terri Doty, Karen Ellis, Chris Frankovich, Jann Gingrich, Kristin Goff, Jean Hawkins, Elizabeth Johnson, Nancy Jones, Jennifer Lavoie, Connie Snider and Amanda Waldron. Through its work, this team improved processes and turnover times. Patients’ satisfaction with the amount time spent waiting in the facility has gone from 63rd percentile to 69th percentile. Door to OR time has decreased from 137 minutes to 95 minutes. The team has incorporated standardized workflow that has helped to drive these measures of success.
Finance Pillar Award
The Finance Pillar Award was presented to Debbi Stade-Self and Kishwaukee Hospital Y1/Y2 Team. The Y1/Y2 Team worked hard to find areas where they could reduce costs in both supplies and staffing. The team successfully achieved annualized savings surpassing $256,000, making a major contribution to the organization’s cost reduction goal.
Growth Pillar Award
The Growth Pillar Award was presented to the leadership team that was responsible for the implementation and integration in the acquisition of the DeKalb Clinic. This team not only worked through a project plan of nearly 800 items but also oversaw the work of at least 12 major sub-teams which involved staff across both organizations. It created a new arm of the health system designed to meet the population health needs of the communities we serve. The team included leadership by: Dr. Michael Kulisz, Pam Duffy, Abe Chacko, Heath Bell, Dave Proulx, Theresa Komitas, Loren Foelske, Cheryl Fisher, Joe Jarocki, Michele McClelland, Chris Cain, Angela Lovett, Michelle Schultz, Paul Springer, Erin Kersten, Dorrie Kasmar, Jodi Haeffner, Tom Warzecha, Brian Skwirut, Mindy Kempinski, Jennifer Fairbanks, Joe Dant, Alice Freier and Mike Borden.
For information about KishHealth System, visit www.kishhealth.org.