Fort HealthCare Honored with the Inaugural 2024 WHA Hospital Mentorship and Quality Champion Award

FORT ATKINSON – The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) awarded Fort HealthCare with the inaugural 2024 WHA Hospital Mentorship and Quality Champion Award.

The 2024 WHA Quality and Patient Safety Awards banquet recognizes hospitals that advance and improve patient outcomes in Wisconsin. The WHA has two award categories – Excellence in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety; and Hospital Mentorship and Quality Champion. The Hospital Mentorship and Quality Champion award recognize a hospital for demonstrating mentoring relationships and engagement through active participation, collaboration and the sharing of tools and resources with other hospitals.

Recognition through this inaugural award underscores Fort HealthCare’s commitment to advancing healthcare quality and rural health equity. As an active participant in the WHA Hospital Quality Contract (HQIC), Fort HealthCare has demonstrated dedication to reducing all-cause harm in hospitals, including sepsis, adverse drug events, falls, readmissions, and C. difficile. Through quarterly meetings with WHA, we have spearheaded initiatives aimed at enhancing patient outcomes and safety measures.

Pictured left to right: Jim Nelson, SVP/CFO, Stacy Kutz, Chris Barron, R. Ph., MBA, Michael Anderson, MD, President & CEO, Latisha Smith-Chase, MD, Medical Director of Quality, Lisa Jensen, MBA, BSN, RN, CNO, Katie Wetzel, MBA, BSN, RN, and Catherine Johnson, MS.

“This award reflects our team’s commitment to high-quality care for our community. Fort HealthCare continuously advocates for rural health equity and quality. The WHA’s recognition acknowledges the challenges of rural medicine and our leadership among rural health systems. This award belongs to every member of Fort HealthCare. Your dedication to delivering exceptional care is deeply appreciated, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you,” states Michael Anderson, MD, Fort HealthCare President & CEO.

Central to Fort HealthCare’s success has been our collaborative spirit within the healthcare community. Serving as a voice for rural health equity, Fort HealthCare actively engages with WHA members and participates in various forums such as the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality and Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative. Emphasizing the importance of shared learning and collective progress, Fort HealthCare continually shares its expertise, insights, tools, and programs to mentor other hospitals. Fort HealthCare develops strategies for advancing health equity, setting a benchmark for excellence in healthcare leadership.

Driven by our mission to improve community health and well-being, Fort HealthCare has championed statewide efforts to address health disparities in rural communities. Over the past 13 years, we have worked tirelessly to advance health equity by leading the initiative to consolidate safety net health and dental services into a sustainable entity. This has paved the way for the Rock River Community Clinic to become a Federally Qualified Health Center look alike.

Fort HealthCare is grateful to be recognized in the award’s inaugural year and looks forward to celebrating this accomplishment with other local organizations who are just as committed to excellence. Thank you to WHA for recognizing our dedication to both Hospital Mentorship and being Quality Champions, and for honoring us with this award.