2010 Fine Awards for Teamwork Excellence in Health Care

Six local medical teams were recipients of the third annual Fine Awards for Teamwork Excellence in Health Care during a reception at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture Thursday, November 18, 2010. Sponsored by The Fine Foundation and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF), the Fine Awards were established to reinforce the critical role teamwork plays in health care.

"For decades, hospitals were places to be avoided because of medical mistakes, infections and other misfortunes," said Milton Fine, president and chairman of The Fine Foundation. "Now we find that healthcare professionals are taking the lead in making the system better, safer, more economical, and more patient-oriented. And whereas in the past, crusading individuals were the drivers behind reform, today we see teams of healthcare professionals creating many of these significant improvements."

A distinguished national selection committee was commissioned to review nearly 40 applications and select three winners. However, a cluster of six teams stood out for their outstanding projects.

"This was an unusually excellent year for our region's healthcare teams. Our race for Gold, Silver, and Bronze was so close that, when the results were tallied we had a tie for Gold," said Karen Wolk Feinstein, president and CEO of JHF. "To add to our surprise, after we finalized our top winners, we still had two teams that ranked close behind. They received special mention from the judges for their unique contribution. So, we decided to honor those two teams with special recognition awards."

The 2010 Fine Awards for Teamwork Excellence in Health Care:

  • Gold Award Winner

    Jefferson Regional Medical Center
    Eliminating Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in the ICU

  • Gold Award Winner

    UPMC Shadyside
    Breath In Breathe Out – Off of Mechanical Ventilation & Out of the ICU

  • Silver Award Winner

    UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside
    Venous Thromboembolism Prevention

  • Bronze Award Winner

    UPMC Physician Services
    Patient Quality Outreach

  • Special Recognition

    Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
    An Organized Disaster – How Simulation & Practice Led to Safely Transporting 152 Acute & Critically-Ill Children Across an Urban Landscape

  • Special Recognition

    St. Clair Hospital
    Standardization of Anticoagulation Processes