Newton Medical Center has been named one of two recipients of the 2009 Thomas R. Sipe Challenge.
The announcement was made by the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation.
The hospitals will be recognized for implementing solutions to health-care challenges in Kansas.
The other hospital winning the award is Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute.
“The award honors new, creative and practical approaches to community health-care challenges,” a news release stated. “Award winner Newton Medical Center addressed the challenge of funding a hospital in difficult economic times. Through personal sacrifice by management and empowerment throughout all staff, the program ‘Show Me the Money’ was a success.”
Because of this program, the hospital was able to save money, encourage input from stakeholders, protect patient care, and protect Newton’s workforce.
“These programs and hospitals are demonstrating great leadership for our local health-care communities,” said Melissa Hungerford, CEO of the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation. “Addressing barriers to health-care delivery is an important step in furthering access to and the quality of care in our state.”
A recognition ceremony was Nov. 12 at the KHA Investiture and Awards Luncheon at the KHA Annual Convention in Wichita. Newton Medical Center and Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center each will receive a plaque and a $500 award check for their program.
The two winning programs also will receive coverage in KHA publications, in addition to their entries being posted on the KHA Web site.
“The foundation recognizes these ... deserving programs, each of whom submitted an abstract and extensive essay describing their attention to a challenge and implementation of a community-based program,” Hungerford said.
The Thomas R. Sipe Challenge was established to honor Sipe’s dedication and years of service to Kansas hospitals.
Thomas R. Sipe’s leadership assisted 83 rural hospitals in Kansas to gain designation as Critical Access Hospitals.
Established in the early 1960s, the Kansas Hospital Education and Research Foundation provides scholarships for hospital employees and has projects focused on rural health care, emergency preparedness and health-care workforce.
