Arbor Health—Morton Hospital recognized for outstanding care by state association
CHELAN, WASH. — Timing is everything on a new job—something Arbor Health CEO Robert Mach is grateful for. After just one week at the helm of the East Lewis County medical system, he was presented with a Quality Excellence Award from the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA). Arbor Health—Morton Hospital was one of 13 hospitals in the state to be receive the award on June 28 at WSHA’s annual Rural Hospital Leadership Conference at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan.
In a prepared statement, WSHA stated the award was “for participating in its Critical Access Hospital Achievement of Quality Excellence Program and delivering outstanding care to their communities. The participating hospitals worked on quality improvement projects and submitted data on up to 14 quality improvement measures. These measures included antibiotic stewardship, reducing diagnostic errors, preventing patient falls and working to address social determinants of health.
The hospitals recognized in 2023 were:
- Arbor Health (Morton)
- Astria Sunnyside Hospital (Sunnyside)
- Columbia Basin Hospital (Ephrata)
- East Adams Rural Healthcare (Ritzville)
- Lincoln Hospital (Davenport)
- Lourdes Medical Center (Pasco)
- North Valley Hospital (Tonasket)
- Ocean Beach Hospital & Medical Clinics (Ilwaco)
- Providence Mount Carmel Hospital (Colville)
- Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital (Chewelah)
- St. Elizabeth Hospital (Enumclaw)
- Summit Pacific Medical Center (Elma)
- Willapa Harbor Hospital (South Bend)
While hospitals regularly submit data and participate in quality improvement initiatives, this is the association’s first year offering a special recognition program to critical access hospitals to honor their work and participation in tracking their performance. Critical access hospitals are those that have 25 or fewer beds, are located more than 35 miles from another hospital, maintain an average length of stay of 96 hours or less for acute care patients and provide 24/7 emergency care services.
On receiving the award on behalf of the quality team, Mach said that the occasion further confirmed what he had already determined on accepting the position, that the Arbor Health team took its patient care seriously and strives to give patients the very best care possible.
Pictured are (from left) Chief Nursing and Quality Officer Sara Williamson, Quality Manager Julie Johnson and CEO Robert Mach.