In her role working with cancer patients and their families, Marcia Carlson recognized that patients had a problem talking to their children about cancer. There were a number of good resources out there, but the information was scattered through too many sources. What was needed was one book to express the best practical ideas in one place.

Carlson filled that need by writing Simple Talks for Tough Times. The book addresses two primary issues: Breaking the news and dealing with uncertainties. It has been available for the past six months at Unity Hospital and Mercy Hospital, and it was recently provided to patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. The book serves a critical patient need, and it's just a matter of time before the book reaches a much larger audience. View video.

Judy Pechacek, R.N.

Patient Safety Leadership Award - Large Hospital Category

Judy Pechacek, R.N., Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina

This award recognizes a hospital staff person for their extraordinary and innovative steps to make patient safety a top priority. Judy Pechacek, R.N., took such steps recently to prevent pressure ulcers at her hospital, Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina. In 2008, the hospital had 19 facility-acquired pressure ulcers. To respond to this rate of pressure ulcers, Pechacek took action and led a rapid process improvement workshop. A multidisciplinary team took part in the intensive, two-day workshop. Fairview Southdale is part of MHA's Safe Skin initiative, so the workshop team, under her leadership, reviewed best practice standards related to perioperative pressure ulcers. Pechacek and her team identified several areas of improvement, including better communication about pressure ulcer risk to operating room staff and enhanced preventive measures for patients immobilized for lengthy surgical procedures.

The outcome: Fairview Southdale had just six pressure ulcers in 2009 and only one in the first six months of 2010. MHA's patient safety specialists called this effort "a great success story" and a model for pressure ulcer prevention. View video.

Note: No entries were received for the small hospital category.

Leigh Myers-Higgens

Good Catch for Patient Safety Award

Leigh Myers-Higgens of Methodist Hospital, St. Louis Park

This award recognizes a hospital professional who "speaks up" to prevent potential harm to patients. This year's winner made not just a good catch, but a GREAT CATCH, when she detected a potentially lethal medication error.

A physician had ordered a medication to control a patient's atrial fibrillation. But the wrong medication was sent to the floor for the patient. Nurse Myers-Higgens, through her diligent medication check prior to administering the drug, caught the error. She consulted with the ordering physician and the medication was not administered, avoiding a potentially serious adverse health event. View video.

2011 Institutional Award Winners

John Herman

Best Minnesota Hospital Workplace - Small Hospital Category

Fairview Northland Medical Center, Princeton

Going the extra mile to enhance employee satisfaction is the main criteria of this award, and Fairview Northland has clearly distinguished itself in this area over the past three years. It is proof that a happy workplace translates to a satisfied patient base.

Thanks to its "Achieving Excellence" program, Fairview Northland has realized steady progress in patient and employee satisfaction. Turnover of employees has declined each of the past two years, while 30- to 90-day staff retention rates have improved as well. The Achieving Excellence campaign focuses on improved staff training and development, enhanced employee communication, staff recognition, and leadership training. Staff engagement, from involving staff in hiring processes to regular communication with senior leadership, is what drives employee satisfaction. View video.

Note: No entries were received for the large hospital category.

Fairview Pond Center Clinic staff

Community Benefit Award - Large Hospital Category

Fairview Health Services - Fairview Pond Center Clinic

Fairview Health Services partnered with the Bloomington Public Schools in October 2009 to open Fairview Pond Center Clinic in Bloomington. The clinic provides low-cost medical, mental health and dental services to area children, with the goal of improving community health for low-income families. The walk-in facility served 391 children in 2010 and serves as a model, community-wide effort. Medical services are provided by Fairview physicians and staff; mental health services are provided by Washburn Center for Children; and dental care is provided by Children's Dental Services. View video.

Dr. Dann Heilman, medical director CARE Clinic; Julie Malyon, R.N., clinic founder and manager; Neela Mollgaard, clinic founder and director; Jan Graner, CARE Clinic board chair.

Community Benefit Award - Small Hospital Category

Fairview Red Wing Health Services - CARE Clinic

This award recognizes Fairview Red Wing Health Services for responding to the health care needs of its local community. Fairview Red Wing led the charge in developing the CARE Clinic, a free medical facility that provides health care access to low-income, medically uninsured citizens living in Goodhue County.

The clinic is open one night a week and is led by a multidisciplinary team of 200 volunteers, including medical staff from Fairview Red Wing and neighboring facilities. More than 4,376 hours of service were volunteered in 2010. The clinic collaborates with county public health and social service teams to connect patients with county resources and state and federal programs to help meet their needs. View video.

David Overman and Agent Matthew Wold

Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award - Large Hospital Category

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul

Children's Hospitals and Clinics has developed what many believe is the first-ever in-hospital "Geek Squad Precinct," a program that provides free on-site tech support to patients and families during their hospital stay. Children's and Best Buy partnered in 2009 during a major hospital expansion to provide the technology infrastructure to equip patient rooms with consumer electronic products.

The result was a program that has allowed thousands of children and families to stay connected to their world outside the hospital, while providing an entertainment outlet inside with gaming systems and DVDs. The Geek Squad provides the tech assistance to keep things working, from ensuring function of laptops and Skype to supplying cell phone chargers. The cutting-edge program is considered a model nationwide. View video.

Phillips Eye Institute staff

Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award - Small Hospital Category

Phillips Eye Institute of Minneapolis, Surgical Procedure Verification/Site Marking Process

The Phillips Eye Institute earned this award for developing a new Surgical Procedure Verification/Site Marking process. After a wrong-site procedure occurred in April 2010, Phillips convened a multidisciplinary team to evaluate the adverse health event. The review resulted in a more rigorous site marking policy, one featuring shared accountability for site marking and a goal of preventing wrong-site events. Since instituting the new process, Phillips has not experienced another wrong-site event. A Joint Commission surveyor has called the new process "best of practice." View video.

Guy Finne, recruitment advisor for Mayo Clinic

Health Care Career Promotion Award - Large Hospital Category

Mayo Clinic, Health Care Career Festival

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester was recognized for its outstanding efforts to promote health care careers. Each year since 2005, the Mayo Clinic has hosted a Health Care Career Festival for high school students from southeastern Minnesota. The event educates young people about health care careers and features career information, hands-on activities, and direct interaction with Mayo Clinic employees.

A total of 4,134 students have attended over the past six years. The festival features more than 50 career booths supported by 300 Mayo staff. The booths feature careers such as nursing, environmental services, radiology, finance, information technology, physical and occupational therapy, surgical services, lab medicine, addiction services, and genetics. View video.

Lakewood Health System staff Lisa Finken; Karen Treangen; Janet Jacobson

Health Care Career Promotion Award - Small Hospital Category

Lakewood Health System of Staples, Career Promotion Program

Lakewood Health System in central Minnesota has demonstrated that you don't have to be a large hospital to implement a robust health care career development model. With a steadily aging health care work force, Lakewood recognizes the need to recruit and train young people for health care careers. Central to this goal is Lakewood's summer internship program, a program that provides about 16 to 19 students each year with exposure to and experience in Lakewood's full continuum of care. Lakewood is committed to a three-month program with designated funding. It partners with Staples Motley High School, Central Lakes College and Freshwater Education District to recruit young people, and it also draws participants from post-secondary schools. Rotations in a variety of health care-related fields are offered, along with career planning assistance. View video.

Associate Member of the Year Award

HBE Corporation of St. Louis, MO

This award recognizes HBE Corporation for its spirit of collaboration. HBE Corporation is one of health care's leading design and building firms in the United States, with a focus on planning, designing and building hospitals. It has worked as a valuable partner with MHA, providing both educational and financial support for its events and programs. View video.