ASHNHA is proud to announce the recipients of the 2021 Quality & Patient Safety Awards. During the pandemic, Alaska’s health care providers have worked through incredibly challenging circumstances to continue to deliver high-quality patient care programs and
support sustainable improvements in quality and patient safety. ASHNHA’s annual Quality & Patient Safety awards honor health care workers across the state. This year, the recognition comes at a critical time as health care professionals work long and demanding shifts to battle rising COVID cases and are forced to make incredibly difficult decisions as hospitalizations escalate and capacity is strained.
Congratulations to all of this year's Healthcare Champions! Thank you to Providence health & Services Alaska for sponsoring this year's awards.
2021 AWARDEES Click on the links below to learn more about each awardee
Innovation in Transformation of Patient Safety- High Reliability Award:
Denali Center Staff, Denali Center - Foundation Health Partners (Fairbanks) Awarded the High Reliability Award for enhancing patient safety through an organizational commitment to high reliability by motivating team members to act, reduce risk, and prevent harm.
Night Shift Nursing and Telehealth Provider Team - Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital (Anchorage) Awarded the High Reliability Award for the implementation of new telehealth technologies leading to a profound, positive impact in patient safety and quality of care.
Golden Stethoscope Award:
Dr. Karen Mailer, MD, CMD Medical Director - Providence Transitional Care Center & Providence Extended Care (Anchorage) Awarded the Golden Stethoscope for above-and-beyond ingenuity, improving lives and workforce well-being, while enhancing safety through patient and family engagement.
Dr. Michael R. Burton, MD Medical Director, Emergency Department - Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (Fairbanks) Awarded the Golden Stethoscope for twenty years of dedication and implementation of hospital-wide initiatives leading to measurable improvements in quality and patient safety.
Front-Line Staff Award:
Intensive Care Unit Team - Providence Alaska Medical Center (Anchorage) Awarded the Front-Line Staff Award for interdisciplinary teamwork and demonstrated excellence in patient safety and quality through an unwavering commitment to improving patient care in the ICU.
Emilie Otis, Physical Therapy Assistant - South Peninsula Hospital (Homer) Awarded the Front-Line Staff Award for vigilance and longevity of effort leading the Unit Peer Leader program which has been instrumental in improving quality patient care while ensuring staff safety.
Beacon Award:
Southcentral Foundation, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Alaska Native Medical Center, Dr. James J. Tiesinga Awarded the Beacon Award for unwavering commitment to health equity as evidenced by a comprehensive statewide COVID-19 vaccine distribution program and increased lab testing capabilities for the State of Alaska.