Kaleida Health Receives 2021 PIVOT Award from DNV Healthcare USA Inc.

Released: 11/12/2021 6:00:00 AM

Kaleida Health has received the 2021 PIVOT Award from DNV Healthcare USA Inc.

The PIVOT Award (Progressive, Innovative, Valuable, Opportune, and Transformative) is given to a hospital or healthcare system that quickly implements new ways to meet patient, community and staff needs. The newly-created award recognizes the extraordinary efforts hospitals put in place in responding to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, Kaleida Health has transformed its operations, coming together with others in the community to manage the overwhelming number of patients to be treated.

“As Kaleida Health pivoted to respond, it was critical to effectively communicate internally and externally,” said Bob Nesselbush, CEO of Kaleida Health. “Our teams were innovative and decisive on how they handled clinical care, applying a risk-based approach and always remaining focused on the wellness and resiliency of our heroic healthcare workers.”

Some of Kaleida Health’s noteworthy collaborative community efforts included:

• Transformed the former Sears automotive building at the Walden Galleria into a drive-thru COVID-19 testing facility
• Created a relationship with a local community 503B compounding pharmacy (Pine Pharmacy) to produce saccharin solution needed for fit testing process
• Worked with the University at Buffalo (UB) to develop predictive analytics on the Western New York COVID-19 positive test rates to prepare leadership for COVID-19 inpatient surges
• With partners at UB, we performed 26 clinical trials at Kaleida Health, resulting in 28 publications. Because of our clinical trials, we had early access to potential therapeutic treatments for patients within our region
• Collaborated with many community, government and faith-based partner organizations to create innovative virtual community outreach events, including a virtual education series with the Buffalo NAACP, which featured Kaleida Health’s medical experts who shared information about COVID-19 disease, transmission, prevention, treatment options, testing opportunities and vaccine safety and availability
• Lead national guideline efforts to establish treatment guidelines for emergent acute stroke patients in the setting of COVID
• Lead testing efforts in the community during the first wave, providing testing for first responders and essential service personnel to support the community; with innovations internally from the Kaleida Health IT team to create efficiencies and ease of scheduling
• Visiting Nursing Association of WNY trained other health systems and nursing home teams to deliver monoclonal antibody treatment for nursing home patients
• Supported other healthcare organizations with much-needed PPE, particularly face masks at the beginning of the pandemic
• Developed an Emotional Support Task Force with a team of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists to support mental health needs of staff across Great Lakes Health System of WNY

“We are proud of Kaleida Health as they epitomize what we wanted to recognize with this award,” said DNV Healthcare USA President Patrick Horine. “Award applicants all demonstrated innovation, responsiveness, and putting actions in place that improved hospital operations and the quality of care they provided to their patients. They should not only be lauded, but it is hoped that other members of the provider community adopt their initiatives as well. Patient care and outcomes can only improve by doing so.”

The award was announced and celebrated during DNV’s recent annual healthcare symposium in Reno, Nevada.

About DNV

DNV is a global independent certification, assurance and risk management provider, operating in more than 100 countries. Through its broad experience and deep expertise, DNV advances safety and sustainable performance, sets industry benchmarks, drives innovative solutions.

Whether certifying a company’s management system or products, accrediting hospitals, providing training, assessing supply chains or digital assets, DNV enables customers and stakeholders to make critical decisions with confidence, continually improve and realize long-term strategic goals sustainably.

DNV draws on its wide technical and industry expertise to help companies worldwide build consumer and stakeholder trust. Driven by its purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, DNV helps tackle the challenges and global transformations facing its customers and the world today and is a trusted voice for many of the world’s most successful and forward-thinking companies. www.dnv.us/assurance/healthcare.