The Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Maryland, has awarded the 2010 Delmarva Foundation Excellence Award for Quality Improvement to Upper Chesapeake Health’s Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace, Md. Harford Memorial scored above 90% on 15 key, clinical performance indicators and is one of eight Maryland hospitals to win the award this year.

“Delmarva is proud to recognize Harford Memorial Hospital as recipient of the Delmarva Foundation Excellence Award for Quality Improvement,” said Nancy Jane C. Friedley, MD, Delmarva Medical Director. “Recipients of this award possess a passionate commitment to improving quality of care for their patients. Harford Memorial’s leadership and staff have demonstrated significant and sustained quality improvement practices over the past year by receiving high marks for treating heart attack, congestive heart failure, surgical, and pneumonia patients. We commend their achievements and look forward to our continued collaboration to improve the health of Maryland’s Medicare beneficiaries.”

The Delmarva Foundation Excellence Award for Quality Improvement recognizes individual hospital performance improvement in four national inpatient clinical areas: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, surgical care, and pneumonia. To receive the award, hospitals must meet or exceed the following criteria:

· Score 90 percent or above on 15 required measures, such as aspirin given to patients upon   admission for AMI and initial antibiotic received by pneumonia patients within six hours of their   arrival at the hospital
· Sustain the improvement for at least three consecutive quarters.
· Report at least 24 quality measures to the Hospital Quality Alliance.

“Harford Memorial is very pleased and proud to receive this quality award from the Delmarva Foundation” says Beverly Wehmer, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Assistant Vice President, Patient Services, Upper Chesapeake Health. “Our team members, leaders and physicians work very hard, continually striving for successful outcomes in our patient care. This award represents the dedication and passion of our team members and medical staff who live our Culture of Excellence every patient, every encounter, every day.”

For more information about the Delmarva award, visit http://www.mdqio.org/providers/awards/excellenceDetails.html

Return to main Awards page