Phoenixville, PA (August 18, 2020) — Phoenixville Hospital - Tower Health earned an Achievement Award from The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) for its outstanding effort to improve health care in the communities it serves.
Phoenixville Hospital’s entry Healthy Baby Program: Improving Access and Care for Underserved Pregnant Women was chosen as a Community Champions Award winner. Twelve projects were selected from 131 submissions. Winners were chosen for their exceptional work and innovation in community health projects, quality improvement efforts, and operational efficiencies.
In early 2015, Phoenixville Hospital began exploring the need for prenatal care for underserved women in the community. As a local community hospital with strong collaborative community partnerships, the need for the Healthy Baby Program was recognized by community organizations.
The Healthy Baby program gives women access to exceptional healthcare and bilingual navigation services right here in their own community. In addition to reducing travel, the Hospital’s program is offered at discounted cost. While the program is offered to all underserved women in the community, the targeted initial outreach was the Latino population. The Hospital service area is a very diverse community with a growing Spanish speaking population.
The success of the Healthy Baby program is due to a collaboration with the hospital, obstetrical practice and supporting community organizations. The first patient enrolled in the program in the summer of 2015. For the past five years, Phoenixville Hospital has been able to provide quality prenatal, delivery, and post-partum care to women in our community, thus improving maternal and child health. Over 1,000 women have enrolled in the Healthy Baby Program and there have been over 800 deliveries to date.
“We are proud to offer the Healthy Baby program to underserved women in the community who might not otherwise receive these vital services,” said Phoenixville Hospital President and CEO, Steve Tullman. “Congratulations to Director of Community Health Education & Outreach, Barbara O’Connor, and her team on this outstanding achievement. This award is a testament to their tireless efforts in developing this program and providing needed care for local mothers and their children.”
“Especially in light of the extraordinary challenges that COVID-19 has presented Pennsylvania’s hospital community, we are pleased to honor the recipients of the 2020 HAP Achievement Awards,” said Andy Carter, HAP’s president and chief executive officer. “These outstanding projects demonstrate the tireless commitment to excellence that Pennsylvania’s hospital community embodies each and every day. We congratulate the winners for their accomplishments.”
Entries were evaluated by a 16-judge panel. The panelists, drawn from Pennsylvania and across the nation, represented the public and private sectors, business organizations, consumer groups, and renowned health care quality institutes.
Phoenixville Hospital’s winning team will be recognized at HAP’s 2020 Patient Safety and Quality Symposium, which will be held virtually September 9–10.
HAP’s Achievement Awards program has recognized Pennsylvania hospital excellence since 1978.
About Phoenixville Hospital
Located in Phoenixville, Pa., and a member of Tower Health, Phoenixville Hospital is a 144-bed facility that provides comprehensive medical services through emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, outpatient procedures and community outreach programs. Phoenixville Hospital’s services include an award-winning cardiovascular program, a fully accredited cancer center, NAPBC-accredited breast health center, an acute inpatient rehabilitation center, and a large robotic surgery center. Phoenixville Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission and has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines that include joint replacement surgery, advanced heart failure care, and the designation as a Primary Stroke Center. For more information, visit www.towerhealth.org.
About HAP
HAP is a statewide membership services association that represents nearly 240 organizations, as well as the patients and communities they serve. Additional information about HAP is available online at www.haponline.org.