Penn Highlands Brookville earns Excellence Award for Patient Safety

Penn Highlands Healthcare is committed to the safety of its patients and to the highest-quality patient care. Those efforts were recognized at a meeting of the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania last week.

Debra Thomas, Chief Nursing Officer at Penn Highlands Brookville, accepted an award on behalf of the hospital at the meeting on September 3 in Harrisburg. The “Safety Across the Board” Excellence Award was presented by Lynda Martin, Director of the Pennsylvania Hospital Engagement Network (PA-HEN).

In order to qualify for the award, a hospital must exceed the goals established by the PA-HEN to reduce preventable harm and readmission of patients. In Penn Highlands Brookville’s case, staff was recognized for efforts to reduce infections, bed sores and blood clots. Data is collected by the PA-HEN.

“This award reflects the dedication of our nursing and clinical staff,” said Thomas. “We work hard every day to keep our patients safe and to make sure they get the best care possible.”

The patient safety efforts at Penn Highlands Brookville are directed by Amy Fraccola, Performance Improvement Manager. “This reward is tangible evidence of our hard-working nurses. It takes great effort to participate in PA-HEN’s initiatives, and we couldn’t be happier to receive this honor, especially the Excellence Award.”