Two Hennepin Healthcare teams recognized by Minnesota Hospital Association

The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) recently recognized Hennepin Healthcare with awards in two areas: Clinical and Quality Innovation and Community Collaboration in Addressing Social Determinants of Health. These awards were presented at MHA’s Where Disciplines Meet: Putting Patient First Conference this past week. 40 health system teams and individuals from across Minnesota were honored for their work in supporting the health care workforce and improving quality and safety.

“There is amazing work being done every day to provide the highest quality care to our patients,” said Dr. Rahul Koranne, MHA President and CEO, in a press release. “It is not only incredibly important to honor the teams and individuals doing this work, but also valuable to convene these frontline leaders to share and learn from each other.”

Our pharmacist-led Transitions of Care (TOC) Discharge Service team was recognized with a Clinical and Quality Innovation Award for partnering with Hennepin Health, a safety-net county-owned Medicaid managed care organization, to enhance medication access, improve regimen adherence, and promote health equity.

Transition-of-care pharmacists work to promote equitable health outcomes by identifying hospitalized patients who may have unique medication-related needs and offering support, which can reduce readmissions and enhance patient satisfaction.

To ensure necessary post-discharge follow-up communication, the TOC pharmacists work tirelessly to overcome the many communication obstacles their patients face: setting up MyChart access, coordinating schedules between patients and their friends and family with phones or computers when patients lack their own communication devices, and directing patients to available public computer access and voicemail resources.

Hennepin Healthcare’s Food Resources Support Programs were awarded the Community Collaboration in Addressing Social Determinants of Health Award. These critical programs increase access to nutritious food and improve health for food-insecure patients and families.

Working with local food nonprofits allows them to address patients’ immediate food needs and connect them to long-term, sustainable food security. As a result, in 2023, Hennepin Healthcare distributed over 25,000 food bags across 35 clinics/sites, including our downtown campus and all seven of our community clinics. Members of the care team shared that “having food to give to someone struggling adds to our work satisfaction.”

Lori Johnson, Vice President of Performance Improvement and Safety, was also recognized at the MHA Where Disciplines Meet: Putting Our Patient First conference which brought Minnesota hospitals and health systems quality, workforce and nursing representatives together. Lori was recognized for her 37 years of services at Hennepin healthcare and for her work with MHA on various quality and safety initiatives, and for chairing the MHA quality committee.