Winona Health was recently recognized with two Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) awards: The MHA Partnership and Improvement Award and The Environmental Services Department of the Year.
The MHA Partnership and Improvement Award is presented to an organization that has made a unique contribution to health care in Minnesota through partnerships with MHA locally and nationally.
Associate Vice President of Development, Roderick Baker, accepted the Partnership and Improvement Award on behalf of his fellow Winona Health caregivers. Baker has been instrumental in embedding a culture of continuous improvement and innovation at Winona Health and sharing the organization’s learnings and results with other organizations nationally. As a member of MHA’s Quality and Safety team, Baker spoke about High Reliability Organizations and Winona Health’s continued efforts to improve patient care and outcomes through innovation at the 2024 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Conference in Baltimore, MD.
The Environmental Services (EVS) Department of the Year Award highlights the outstanding achievements of an environmental services team in contributing to the health and safety of hospitals and health systems.
Winona Health’s Environmental Services team is spearheading innovation using artificial intelligence and robotics to enhance workforce efficiency, sanitation practices and infection control.
In October of 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Winona Health’s EVS team implemented UV-C light technology, revolutionizing surface disinfection protocols across clinical areas. Additionally, robotic floor care machines are significantly reducing labor and boosting productivity. Winona Health’s success with this technology has led to collaboration with an equipment vendor for product development. The team is also pioneering research with another vendor to use smartwatch technology to optimize housekeeping workflows.
Tanya Johnson, director of environmental and risk management services, and Jerry Kouba, environmental services manager, accepted the award on behalf of their fellow caregivers.
“I’m grateful that we have such a strong team,” Kouba said. “Like so many other aspects of caring for people, our work in Environmental Services takes everyone working together, speaking up with new ideas and putting our patients’ and their families’ needs first.”
For more information about Winona Health, visit winonahealth.org. For information about career opportunities, visit winonahealth.org/careers.
Winona Health received the Minnesota Hospital Association’s Environmental Services Department of the Year Award. Pictured: Jerry Kouba, Environmental Services Manager with several of the award-winning team.
Winona Health Associate Vice President of Development Roderick Baker (right) accepts the Minnesota Hospital Association Partnership and Improvement Award from Rahul Koranne, MHA CEO and president; and Lori Johnson, chair of the MHA Quality and Safety Committee and Vice President of Performance Improvement and Safety at Hennepin Healthcare.
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