LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 23, 2022) – Saint Joseph Hospital, Continuing Care Hospital and the Volunteer Guild at Saint Joseph Hospital have all received awards from the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) for their commitment to patient care and safety. The facilities and volunteers were recognized at the KHA Annual Convention on May 18, 2022.
Saint Joseph Hospital has received a 2022 KHA Quality Award, receiving a perfect score in KHA’s grading system. Saint Joseph Hospital was recognized for its use of a blood culture diversion device that helps decrease the rate of blood culture contamination in the emergency department.
Last fall, a multidisciplinary team in the emergency department explored the impact of using the blood culture diversion device on blood culture contamination rates. Studies have found that nearly one in three positive blood cultures are considered false positives, resulting in unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, increased length of stay, unwarranted consultations and excess cost of care. The blood culture diversion device effectively reduced the overall rate of blood culture contamination.
“Saint Joseph Hospital is dedicated to the highest quality care for our patients and is always looking for areas in which we can improve,” said Lewis Perkins Jr., DNP, APRN, NEA-BC, vice president, patient care services/CNO, Saint Joseph Hospital. “Our employees participate in ongoing quality improvement using an integrated, interdisciplinary approach. Efforts are directed toward care delivery processes, systems and structures that promote patient outcomes and support operational excellence.”
Continuing Care Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital located within Saint Joseph Hospital, received a 2022 KHA Quality Award; it was the ninth time CCH has been recognized with the award. The facility was recognized for its ventilator weaning rates during FY19, FY20, and FY21.
“We are proud to receive this recognition from the Kentucky Hospital Association for the ninth time,” said Robert Desotelle, president, Continuing Care Hospital. “Ventilators have been critical the last couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s crucial to have a team that can safely wean patients from a ventilator. While we never want a patient to experience ventilation, we’re confident in our medical staff and their commitment to patient safety and well-being and know they are doing all they can to provide exceptional care.”
Additionally, the Volunteer Guild at Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East received a HANDS (Helping Accomplish Noteworthy Duties Successfully) Award for its marble maze fidgets project. More than one dozen volunteers regularly sew 6 x 8 fleece squares with maze lines and a marble inside that are given to all patients and nursing home residents. The objective is to work the marble through the maze from one end to the other with your fingers, which also acts as a type of sensory therapy since you don’t rely on your eyesight. This project also relieves anxiety for many of the patients.
“Our volunteers go above and beyond to help patients every day, and we are thrilled to see them honored with this award,” said Leslie Smart, CFRE, president, Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation. “These volunteers are critical to the success of our facilities, and it’s wonderful to see their hard work and dedication recognized by the Kentucky Hospital Association.”
The KHA Quality Awards recognize the hospital leadership and employees for providing explementary care and commitment to innovation and optimal patient services. The HANDS Awards are given to volunteers for particular projects making a difference within hospitals.
About CHI Saint Joseph Health
CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.
About Saint Joseph Hospital
Saint Joseph Hospital is a 433-bed hospital located in Lexington, Kentucky. Established in 1877 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, the facility serves residents of central and eastern Kentucky and is a nationally recognized tertiary medical center. Saint Joseph Hospital is Lexington’s first hospital. The hospital’s original mission was to provide compassionate care to the poor and underserved – a tradition still carried out today.
About Continuing Care Hospital
Continuing Care Hospital is a 57-bed, long-term acute care hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, located within Saint Joseph Hospital. Established in 2002, the facility is licensed as a general acute care hospital that serves residents of central and eastern Kentucky, and addresses the unique and complicated physical, emotional, spiritual, nursing and rehabilitation needs of long-term patients.
About Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation
Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation supports CHI Saint Joseph Health’s drive for excellence by inspiring donors to make a tangible difference through their philanthropic investment in outstanding patient care facilities and services, the education of caregivers, advanced clinical research and improved access to quality medical care.
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Kentucky Hospital Association President Nancy Galvagni, left, and KHA Board Chair and CEO of Paintsville ARH Hospital Kathy Stumbo, right, presented Saint Joseph Hospital Emergency Department team members Shelly Potter, administrative assistant, Nathan Terry, ED technician, and Heather Lee, interim manager of Emergency Services, with a KHA Quality Award during the association’s annual convention on May 18.
Kentucky Hospital Association President Nancy Galvagni, left, and KHA Board Chair and CEO of Paintsville ARH Hospital Kathy Stumbo, right, presented Bob Desotelle, president, Continuing Care Hospital, with a KHA Quality Award during the association’s annual convention on May 18.
Gretchen King, manager, volunteer services; Judy Albrecht, guild president; Jose Fraguela, guild vice president; Leslie Smart, president, Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation; Anna Taylor, market director, philanthropy and volunteer services, Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation.
Publish date:
Monday, May 23, 2022
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