At the Dec. 15 CHA Board of Trustees meeting, the following nominees for the annual CHA awards were approved:
- Award of Merit, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the health care community. This is CHA’s highest honor and is only given when the occasion arises. This year’s recipients are the COVID-19 Caregivers, the 500,000 men and women of California’s hospitals who wake up every day, selflessly leave their families, and arrive at our hospitals in order to care for patients during the pandemic. This short tribute video from CHA recognizes hospital workers’ selfless contributions over the past year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has continued its relentless march through California.
- Ritz E. Heerman Memorial Award, which recognizes a specific outstanding contribution to the improvement of patient care. The CHA Data Analytics Team has received the award during this time of pandemic for the development of the COVID-19 Tracking Tool used by some 400 hospitals to provide state and hospital leaders vital insight into the pandemic and its spread.
- Certificate of Distinction, which recognizes exemplary performance on behalf of the health care community through a devotion of the highest order to voluntary duties. Recipient David Brown, system director, rehabilitation services, Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, has been a fierce advocate for post-acute care issues and a mentor to many.
In addition, this year, Mercy General Hospital, led by CEO and CHA Board of Trustees member Edmundo Castañeda, will receive the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) 75-year Milestone Award. Three California hospitals are receiving AHA’s 50-year Milestone Award. They are:
- Lompoc Valley Medical Center
- Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley
- Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center