Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center receives safety award
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown was recently named one of only 22 recipients of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania's 2024 Excellence in Patient Safety Award.
The honor was given to hospitals that outperformed the mean standardized infection ratio in three areas – central line-associated bloodstream infections; catheter-associated urinary tract infections; and occurrences of Clostridioides, a bacterium that causes potentially life-threatening diarrhea and colitis.
Results were based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network data from 2023.
"We've spent the last year and probably a half working really hard to turn around Conemaugh, if you will," Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer Kris O'Shea said.
"For me, safety of the patient and the quality of our care is the cornerstone of everything that we do. We put a lot of attention to what I call the big important stuff. It's how we prevent falls in the hospital, how do we prevent infections.
"We are honored to receive this award, but it really does show the incredible improvement in our quality of care relative to infections and falls and other things like that."
O'Shea said she credited the "meticulous work of our staff" in providing "reliability" and "really super care of (patients) every time" at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.
HAP states that the recipients give "stellar performance ensuring patients' safety" at its website.
"Providing the highest standard of patient care is at the heart of everything we do," Conemaugh Health System CEO Rodney Reider said. "Achieving this milestone required dedication and teamwork from every team member. We are incredibly proud of their commitment to excellence."
