Moravian Manor Communities was recently honored as a recipient of the 2021 “I AM Patient Safety” award from the Patient Safety Authority in the Long-Term Care category. We are one of 11 healthcare facilities from across Pennsylvania being recognized for advancements, outcomes, and commitment to patient safety across the Commonwealth.
Donna Gerofsky, RN, IP, has implemented a rigorous infection prevention program that has kept many residents at Moravian Manor Communities COVID-free since the beginning of the pandemic. She has educated and coached all staff on how to minimize the spread of COVID whereby keeping residents and their fellow team members safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized Moravian Manor Communities as an outstanding nursing facility in the state of Pennsylvania because of their COVID response. About Donna, one colleague said, “I have worked in the healthcare field for 38 years and never encountered a professional IP staff member so committed to infection prevention excellence. She has kept our facility safe for years and continues to inspire us all to walk the walk and talk the talk of infection prevention. Donna makes us all better infection prevention advocates.”
The I AM Patient Safety awards are judged by a cross-section of national and regional healthcare executives, patient safety advocates, and government, university, and patient representatives. The award criteria include innovation, impact, sustainability, and scalability. Inclusion of the patient in the initiative and demonstrating extraordinary actions are also considered.
Since its inception in 2013, the I AM Patient Safety awards have honored hundreds of programs and individuals taking action to positively impact patient safety. This year’s award categories include Ambulatory Surgery Facility, Focus On the Patient, Improving Diagnosis, Individual Impact, Long-Term Care Facility, Safety Story, and Transparency and Safety in Healthcare. Three new categories were added for 2021: Conquering COVID, Physician Offices, and Nationwide Warriors. An Executive Director’s Choice award was also selected.
“We often focus on the problems in healthcare: the errors, the system breakdowns, and the harm caused to patients,” said Patient Safety Authority executive director Regina Hoffman. “This is a chance for us to celebrate the things that go right each day in healthcare to make our patients safer and to honor the individuals and staffs who not only care, but also are taking action to improve outcomes.”
About the Patient Safety Authority
Established under the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act of 2002, the PSA, an independent state agency, collects and analyzes patient safety data to improve safety outcomes and help prevent patient harm.