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Awards and Recognition

The success of Mille Lacs Health System shines through its recognition by national organizations and other groups that rank the country’s healthcare facilities. We are proud to have earned the following awards of distinction and recognition of excellence:

Minnesota Hospital Association Patient Safety Excellence Awards

A Minnesota Hospital Association Patient Safety Excellence Award is given to hospitals that are actively participating in one of MHA’s safety campaigns and achieve 90 percent or higher of campaign roadmap steps.

Patient Safety Excellence Award for work on preventing pressure ulcers through the SAFE SKIN initiative. The SAFE SKIN Roadmap to a Comprehensive Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program provides a detailed list of recommended actions that are organized under the SAFE SKIN acronym:

  • Safety coordination
  • Accurate and concurrent reporting
  • Facility expectations, staff education and accountability
  • Education for patients and families
  • Skin inspection and risk assessment
  • Keep pressure off—minimize pressure, friction and shear
  • Incontinence/moisture protection
  • Nutrition

Patient Safety Excellence Award for work on preventing adverse surgical events (the wrong procedure being performed, or a procedure being performed on the wrong body part or patient) through the SAFE SITE initiative. The SAFE SITE Roadmap to a Comprehensive Safe Site Procedure Program provides a detailed list of recommended actions that are organized under the SAFE SITE acronym:

  • Safe site team
  • Access to information

    • Facility expectations

  • Educate staff and patients
  • Sign site with initials
  • Informed consent
  • Time out
  • Effective communication

Patient Safety Excellence Award for work on preventing patients from falling during hospital stays through the SAFE from FALLS initiative. The SAFE from FALLS Roadmap to a Comprehensive Falls Prevention Program provides a detailed list of recommended actions that are organized under the SAFE from FALLS acronym:

  • Safety coordination
  • Accurate and concurrent reporting
  • Facility expectations, staff education and accountability
  • Education for patients and families
  • Fall risk screening
  • Assessment of risk factors
  • Linked interventions
  • Learn from events
  • Safe environment

The SAFE COUNT campaign aims to prevent objects such as sponges from being retained after a patient gives birth. The SAFE COUNT Roadmap to Preventing Retained Objects in Vaginal Deliveries provides a detailed list of recommended actions that are organized under the SAFE COUNT acronym:

  • Safe Count teams
  • Access to information
  • Facility expectations
  • Educate staff
  • Count sponges, sharps, and other items
  • Obtain post-delivery imaging
  • Use of white board or other visual documentation
  • Never use anything but radiopaque
  • Time-out, "Pause for the Gauze."

The SAFE ACCOUNT campaign aims to prevent objects from being retained after a patient has surgery. The SAFE ACCOUNT Road Map to Preventing Retained Objects in the O.R. provides a detailed list of recommended actions:

  • • SAFE ACCOUNT teams
  • Access to information
  • • Facility expectations
  • Educate staff
ACCOUNT

Team Accountability:

  • Communication

Accounting for Items:

  • Pre-procedure
  • The Count Process
  • During the Procedure
  • End of Procedure
  • Reconcile Discrepancies