New Hanover Regional Medical Center recently announced several awards and recognitions of its people and programs.

Reduction of congestive heart failure readmissions
Pender Memorial Hospital and NHRMC Home Care have received national recognition for a telehealth program designed to help reduce hospital readmissions for congestive heart failure patients. Pender Memorial Hospital was one of only five critical access hospitals in the country recognized by the National Rural Health Resource Center for innovation in delivering health care in rural communities, according to a recent news release from NHRMC, according to a news release from the health care provider.

The program provides monitoring equipment in the patient's home to monitor vital signs and weights daily. Any change in the patient's condition prompts an appropriate intervention by the cardiac nurse to help prevent serious problems from developing., the release stated.

The Critical Access Hospital Recognition was established by the National Rural Health Resource Center and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to recognize the excellent work in critical access hospitals throughout the country, the release stated. Pender Memorial Hospital and NHRMC Home Care are affiliated with new Hanover Regional Medical Center. NHRMC Home Care serves an eight-county region.

The program is has already been successful in reducing complications that often lead to patients being readmitted to the hospital, the release stated. Since January 1, NHRMC Home Care has enrolled 223 patients, 159 of which had prior hospitalizations. Of those 159, only nine were readmitted for congestive heart failure within 30 days, one-third the rate for similar patients who were readmitted in 2013.

Cameron Hospital is baby friendly
NHRMC’s Betty H. Cameron Women’s & Children’s Hospital has received designation as a Baby-Friendly Facility. This designation recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of family-centered care and education on infant feeding and mother/baby bonding, according to a news release from the hospital.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global program that was launched by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund in 1991. It assists hospitals in giving all mothers the information, confidence, and skills necessary to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies or feeding formula safely, the release stated, adding “Becoming a Baby-Friendly Facility is a comprehensive, detailed and thorough journey toward excellence in providing maternity care services that support mother/baby bonding.” 

The designation process began with NHRMC’s participation in the Best Fed Beginnings collaborative program, a nationwide quality improvement initiative to help hospitals improve maternity care, according to the release. NHRMC staff also worked to develop education modules for patients and hospital staff. These educational tools led to the successful implementation of evidence-based practices such as keeping moms and babies in the same room throughout their hospital stay, frequent skin-to-skin contact between parents and babies, and initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

Nursing assistant recognized
Pender Memorial Hospital nursing assistant Hermetta Judge has been honored as one of the “Fabulous 50” top skilled nursing facility staff in North Carolina by the N.C. Health Care Facilities Association, according to a news release from NHRMC.

The Fabulous 50 awards program, launched in 2001, is an important part of the long- term care community’s effort to recognize the extraordinary contributions of front-line staff, the release stated.

Judge was nominated by her director for "demonstrating excellent care and compassion, developed over more than 40 years working in long term care." Her nomination described her gentle spirit and the efforts she takes to get to know each resident and help them look and feel their best.  One resident of Pender Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing told how Hermetta made him “feel alive again” with her conversation, beautiful singing and attention to his needs.
 
Judge began her nursing assistant career in 1973 and has been working at Pender Memorial Hospital since 1996.

Volunteers log many hours within system
A final release from NHRMC highlighted the efforts of its volunteers, stating that roughly 800 volunteers gave more than 151,000 hours of service during New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s fiscal year ended Sept. 30. Volunteers provide assistance throughout the medical center and its affiliates.

“According to the Points of Light Foundation, the value of a volunteer hour is $22.14, so the total value of volunteer hours at NHRMC is $3,352,283.82,” the release stated.  

This year, volunteer services were added to the new NHRMC Heart Center Outpatient Services building on Physicians Drive.