May 27, 2009 Edition

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Williams' essay wins honor

Kim Williams (right) Lawrence Memorial Hospital director of performance improvement and risk management, talks with Deborah Nadzam (left) of Joint Commission Resources and Terry Lambert, president of Lawrence Health Services.
Staff Photo ~ Gloria Wilkerson

Vivian Heyl
Staff Writer

Lawrence Memorial Hospital recently received the honor of being chosen as one of three hospitals in the United States to receive the 2009 Celebrating Nursing Award from Joint Commission Resources, the accreditation agency for Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

The award, which is funded by Johnson & Johnson, recognizes nurses and their commitment to the profession with a day celebrating nursing and a visit from a nursing specialist offering a day of consultation for free.

Kim Williams, director of performance improvement and risk management at LMH, submitted an application and essay to the Joint Commission Resources on why LMH should be considered for the award.

In Williams's essay she noted that with limited resources and funding the staff struggles to come up with ideas and new plans to make needed improvements.

"Our hospital is committed to improving safety for patients and also willing to share our success stories with other hospitals that struggle with the same issues," she wrote.

Her application was chosen by the steering committee for Joint Commission Resources, and Williams was notified that the hospital had been accepted as one of the award winners and would receive a visit from JCR patient safety consultant Deborah Nadzam.

Nadzam said that 30 applications were received from across the United States and the LMH application was one of three chosen.

She presented the award on May 21 as part of National Nursing Week and gave a keynote address at the Lawrence County Community Room.

"Kim's application stood out," Nadzam said. "A doctor once said physicians should admit patients and nurses should discharge them. They know when a patient is ready to go home.

"We're here to celebrate nurses in this area during National Nursing Week."

In addition to the presentation of the award, Nadzam also spent the day consulting with LMH staff on ideas for improving patient safety and nursing care.

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