Oregon Rural Health Excellence Award

For Critical Access Hospitals:
Stephanie Sayegh
sayegh@ohsu.edu

For Rural Health Clinics:
Rondyann Gerst
gerst@ohsu.edu

For community-based organizations:
Stepha Dragoon
dragoon@ohsu.edu

For EMS agencies:
Joan Field
fieldj@ohsu.edu

For local public health departments:
Sarah Andersen
ansarah@ohsu.edu

The Oregon Office of Rural Health makes honorary awards that recognize rural hospitals, clinics, local public health departments, EMS agencies, and community-based organizations that demonstrate exceptional dedication to health outcomes in their communities in Oregon.

Submissions should demonstrate the successful implementation of strategies that have produced performance or community health improvement related to an innovative project in their facility or community. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Improving access to care for vulnerable patients
• Improving health equity
• Reducing adverse events such as medication errors, falls, pressure ulcers, and infections
• Addressing root causes of near miss, adverse, or sentinel events
• Using multidisciplinary teams to implement new strategies for emerging patient health needs
• Managing population health across the care continuum

Scoring criteria:

• Significance: How significant is the problem being addressed? For example, does this project improve care for a traditionally underserved or vulnerable population?
• Data-driven approach: How were data (qualitative and quantitative) used to inform the design and impact of the project?
• Culture of safety: How well does the project demonstrate a culture of safety? For example, does this project engage staff across departments? Improve transparency? Recognize and promote participation in QI projects?
• Results: What was achieved or learned, and how does this inform next steps?
• Scalability: Perceived value to other rural hospitals, RHCs or CBOs and likelihood of wider adoption and spread. This includes the potential application of the project's approach to other clinical areas

Awardees will be recognized at the Oregon Rural Health Conference in central Oregon in the fall.

Eligible participants are rural Oregon hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, rural public health departments, EMS agencies, and rural community-based organizations.

Awards are honorary.

A link to the online application form is available on the program website.