Yale New Haven Health honored with the American Hospital Association’s prestigious Quest for Quality Prize

This national award recognizes hospital leadership and innovation in quality and performance improvement

New Haven, CT (July 26, 2021) – The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) has been named the 2021 recipient of the American Hospital Association’s Quest for Quality Prize.

Yale New Haven Health was selected by a multi-disciplinary committee of health care quality and patient safety experts based on its exemplary achievements, which include addressing the social determinants of health, using data to drive quality improvements and engaging their employees in quality improvement work. 

In addition, two other hospitals and health systems will be recognized for their leadership and innovation in quality and performance improvement. Yuma Regional Medical Center, based in Yuma, Ariz., and Memorial Healthcare System, headquartered in Hollywood, Fla., will be honored as finalists.

The American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize recognizes health care leadership and innovation in improving quality and advancing health in communities. The Quest for Quality Prize was first awarded in 2002. The prize is sponsored by RLDatix. This year’s recipients will be recognized on July 28 at the virtual AHA 2021 Leadership Summit. More information on the prize, including how to apply, can be found by visiting here.“This year’s winner and finalists have been remarkable leaders in elevating the quality of care they provide each day to their patients and communities. During the pandemic – when they were experiencing surges in patients – they employed innovative techniques to ensure the highest quality of care for COVID-19 patients,” said Rick Pollack, AHA’s president and CEO. “Their organization-wide commitments to excellence in improving care and health are a model for the entire hospital field.”

“As the AHA’s Champion Sponsor of Quality, RLDatix is proud to present the Quest for Quality award to hospitals and health systems taking an innovative, people centered and data driven approach to improving care across America,” said Jeff Surges, CEO, RLDatix. “This year’s winner and finalists are making a significant impact in their local communities and creating better, safer environments for patients and health workers alike. We want to particularly congratulate this year’s winner, Yale New Haven Health, who during an unprecedented year created new and unique ways to stay connected to patients and ensure the well-being of staff. We are honored to recognize their incredible commitment to quality care.”

Yale New Haven Health has displayed a deep commitment to improving the health of their patients and communities, including a philosophy that every employee participates in quality efforts. The health system is a leader in using data across the system to drive quality improvement, for example, employing a system-wide approach to addressing the opioid crisis, leading to a 25% decrease in intravenous opioid administration and a 20% decrease in opioid prescriptions at discharge. During its response to COVID-19, the health system used data to identify by zip code where to deploy staff and where to allocate vaccines, particularly to reach communities hit hard by the pandemic. In addition, within days of the first COVID-19 patient being diagnosed in Connecticut, Yale New Haven Health had created a call center so that patients could quickly get answers to a range of questions. During COVID-19, the system also supported patients at home, providing pulse oximeters within the community. 

Yale New Haven Health is also addressing the social determinants of health in its communities, including holding a “hackathon” that attracted more than 200 participants. Finally, the system has worked hard to promote the well-being of its caregivers and employees, including through programs to promote emotional health and stress relief, especially during the pandemic. 

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org. 

Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. YNHHS is affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine and the largest academic multi-specialty practice in New England. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Yale School of Medicine. www.ynhhs.org