Pandemic Hero of the Year Award Touts Englewood Health’s Stellar Response to COVID-19 [dedicated]

The thing about community hospitals like Englewood Health in Englewood, New Jersey is that they really know how to serve their communities. Doctors, nurses and staff often live in town and the patients they serve are fellow residents, neighbors and friends. So, it’s no surprise that Englewood Health was recently selected to receive the Leapfrog Pandemic Hero of the Year award from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization focused on healthcare safety and quality. This prestigious national honor recognizes the extraordinary commitment of the staff at Englewood Health to patient safety and the health and well-being of all employees throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

When the pandemic hit last spring, Englewood Health was able to quickly implement measures that would protect its patients and employees, while still maintaining and providing the highest level of care. Englewood Health was chosen for this award because of its seamless pivot to innovative patient- and community-focused programming and initiatives. These included:

- Building a team of surgeons and physicians not directly involved in the care of COVID-19 patients to act as liaisons with patients’ families.
- Ensuring that the patient and family engagement team connected daily with every admitted patient in the hospital, as well as their families, through phone calls and the use of virtual technology. This meticulous attention to service provided updates, ensured needs were met, and minimized feelings of isolation for both patients and families.
- Finding engaging and creative ways to educate the community about safety measures, including mask wearing, hand hygiene, and social distancing.
- Prioritizing employee well-being with the creation of an employee assistance fund and a robust mental health support system.
- Taking time to celebrate successes with staff cheering to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" during COVID-19 patient discharges, and a first responder vehicle parade to honor frontline workers.

Englewood Health has been part of the local community for 130 years. Its guiding principles of “caring for the community and caring for each other” made the health system uniquely suited to confront this crisis with the compassion, leadership, and agility that has always been its hallmark. It’s comforting to know that the hospital providing local families with outstanding day-to-day medical attention can also rise to the occasion and provide world-class care in the face of an uprecendented health crisis.