A Culture of Excellence
Maine EMS Director Wil O’Neal formally recognized MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital as a Pediatric Innovator during a ceremony in front of the hospital’s emergency department entrance in May 2024. Pictured here at the ceremony, from left: Denise Needham, PharmD, president of MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals; Wil O’Neal, Maine EMS director; Maine State Representative Vicki Doudera; Marc Minkler, Maine EMS-C Program Manager; Diane Hynes, RN, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital emergency department pediatric care coordinator; and Tyler Giberson, MD, associate chief medical officer and senior medical director for MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital
A Culture of Excellence
Maine EMS Director Wil O’Neal formally recognized MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital as a Pediatric Innovator during a ceremony in front of the hospital’s emergency department entrance in May 2024. Pictured here at the ceremony, from left: Denise Needham, PharmD, president of MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals; Wil O’Neal, Maine EMS director; Maine State Representative Vicki Doudera; Marc Minkler, Maine EMS-C Program Manager; Diane Hynes, RN, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital emergency department pediatric care coordinator; and Tyler Giberson, MD, associate chief medical officer and senior medical director for MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital
MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals remain committed to providing the highest quality care to our communities, and that commitment was highlighted by several prestigious awards and recognitions in 2024.
MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital Recognized as a Pediatric Innovator
In May, Maine EMS recognized MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital for its readiness to care for pediatric patients, naming the hospital a Pediatric Innovator, the highest designation offered by the Always Ready for Children (ARC) Program. The ARC program is a voluntary recognition program that aims to ensure that every ill and injured child receives appropriate emergency medical care within Maine-based emergency departments.
To receive the Pediatric Innovator designation, a hospital must:
- Have a physician and nurse pediatric emergency care coordinator
- Be willing to share resources with other hospitals in Maine to improve pediatric care
- Receive a high score on the National Pediatric Readiness Project, which measures the “readiness” of an emergency department to care for an ill or injured presenting child
With a score of 93, MHPBH’s emergency department received one of the highest pediatric readiness scores in the state of Maine and is significantly above the national median of 69.
Hospital Pediatric Readiness Recognition Program
The National Pediatric Readiness Project is a multi-phase quality improvement initiative to ensure that all U.S. emergency departments have the essential guidelines and resources in place to provide effective emergency care to children.
Learn more about the Hospital Pediatric Readiness Recognition Program
Achieving Excellence Through Education
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital was one of just 15 organizations recognized as a winner in the Clinical Training category of the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s (CAPC) The John A. Hartford Foundation Tipping Point Challenge, a national competition designed to drive the spread of skills and improve health care delivery for all people living with serious illness.
More than 1,700 organizations competed in the Clinical Training category last year. MHWH was recognized as one of the hospitals to complete the greatest number of CAPC courses since becoming a CAPC member.
Both palliative care and non-palliative care clinicians across the hospital took CAPC classes on communication, pain management, opioid prescribing, symptom management, dementia care and more to enhance their clinical skills and provide better care to patients and families.
The Tipping Point Challenge
The goals of CAPC’s third John A. Hartford Foundation Tipping Point Challenge are twofold: 1) to increase the number of specialties and disciplines enhancing their clinical skills, and 2) to catalyze innovation that will make positive, breakthrough change in the care of serious illness.
To learn more about the Tipping Point Challenge, and to see the full list of winners, visit cpac.org.
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital Receives Five-Star Rating for Cleanliness
Every member of our care team has an impact on patient experience, from the clinical teams who provide direct patient care to the EVS and linen staff who make sure our facilities are clean and safe. Their hard work was recognized last year when MaineHealth Waldo Hospital was recognized as one of 350 hospitals in the country, and one of only five in Maine, to receive a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services five-star rating for cleanliness. MHWH joined MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in Norway as the only MaineHealth hospitals to receive the distinction.
The list was compiled using data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), a national, standardized survey that asks hospital patients about their experiences during a recent inpatient stay. View the full results.
MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital Recognized by the Leapfrog Group
MHPBH ended the year on a high note, receiving two significant awards from the Leapfrog group. In November, the hospital received an “A” Fall 2024 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, the highest hospital safety grade Leapfrog offers. In December, the Leapfrog Group once again recognized the hospital, naming MHPBH a Top Rural Hospital for 2024.
Leapfrog Top Hospital awards are among the most competitive in the country, with over 2,400 hospitals evaluated nationwide on quality and safety. Of these, only 134 hospitals—fewer than six percent—received the honor. MHPBH was one of just 15 hospitals nationwide named as a Top Rural Hospital. MHPBH was also one of only two MaineHealth hospitals to be recognized, alongside MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland, which was named a Top Teaching Hospital for the third consecutive year.
To learn more about The Leapfrog Group, visit leapfroggroup.org.