"We celebrate the winners and finalists of this award because they show us how people working together in hospitals and communities can enrich the environment in which they live," the American Hospital Association writes of the prize on its website.
Though the 2012 $100,000 Foster G. McGaw Prize went to St. Joseph's/Candler Health System in Savannah, Ga., as a finalist, Cheyenne Regional will receive $10,000 to be used to support community health initiatives.
"Cheyenne Regional Medical Center trustees and employees believe that the hospital's impact and service should extend far beyond the walls of a brick building," said John O’Brien, chair of the prize committee. "Cheyenne Regional's community outreach initiatives improve access to care and prescription medications, connect residents to needed health and human services, improve birth outcomes of high-risk families and work in collaboration with others to make Laramie County the healthiest in Wyoming."
The hospital, unsurprisingly, sees the award as an honor.
"Cheyenne Regional Medical Center leaders and staff understand that to transform the health and well-being of our community — and those across the state — means transforming the way we provide health care," said Dr. John Lucas, CEO of Cheyenne Regional in a release. "Critical to that transformation is building and sustaining partnerships that promote healthy, safe and strong communities for the long-term."
Cheyenne Regional was recognized for the following and other community service initiatives:
Safety-net primary care clinics — Cheyenne Health and Wellness Center opened its doors in 2005. The clinic now serves more than 4,000 patients annually, 70 percent of whom have a family income below 100 percent of the federal poverty level.
Healthier Laramie County — Launched in 1997, this 25-member community organization team, co-chaired by Cheyenne Regional staff, recently generated the grassroots momentum needed to secure statutory authority to dispense donated medications to uninsured residents of Laramie County.
Laramie County centralized pharmacy — Operating since 2005, this program serves as a short-term bridge to ensure that underserved patients can access the medications they need while access to longer term prescription assistance is arranged. In 2011, the pharmacy filled 26,270 prescriptions for 3,161 low-income individuals.
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