Oregon hospital wins national honor for community service

The Sky Lakes Medical Center in Oregon is doing more than delivering patient care.

The independent Oregon hospital has developed a host of initiatives aimed at improving the community, such as workforce development and training and helping residents in the Klamath Falls region have access to healthy foods.

Now, the hospital is receiving national recognition. Sky Lakes Medical Center is this year’s winner of the American Hospital Association’s Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service.

The Baxter Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc., sponsors the prize, which the hospital association awards. The medical center receives $100,000 with the prize, which will be awarded at the AHA’s Leadership Summit in Denver on July 13. Three other health systems were honored as finalists.

David Cauble, president and CEO of Sky Lakes Medical Center, said the honor affirms the health system’s vision of improving its communities. The 176-bed hospital and its clinics serve communities in southern Oregon and northern California.

“Healthcare systems have a unique opportunity to strengthen their communities in ways that extend beyond clinical care,” Cauble said in a news release. “By partnering with local organizations to support wellness initiatives, public art, community gathering spaces, and resilient food systems, we can help create healthier, more vibrant places to live.”

Sky Lakes has engaged in efforts to support local farmers, including an online market so consumers can find fresh foods, along with nutrition information. Sky Lakes has partnered with area schools to help spur interest in healthcare careers, and the hospital has engaged in programs to prevent young people from using tobacco.

The medical center also started a wellness center initially aimed at employees, which now offers programs for community members as well, including mental health support and programs to promote fitness. In addition, the medical center has invested in building parks and helping improve area trails.

Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA, praised the medical center for going “above and beyond each day” in its partnerships with community groups.

“From encouraging young people to join healthcare professions to helping provide healthy, local food to those in need to encouraging physical activity and wellness, Sky Lakes Medical Center’s community focus is an inspiration to the entire hospital field,” Pollack said in a news release.

Three other health systems also were named as finalists for the prize and each will receive $10,000: Children’s National in Washington, D.C.; Grady Health System in Atlanta; and Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera, California.

Children’s National was recognized for programs to help families have access to food and potentially reduce the risk of chronic disease, efforts to address asthma in kids, and a program to help doctors and medical students become advocates for child health.

Grady Health System was lauded for its “Food as Medicine” program with the Atlanta Food Bank, efforts to reduce complications in patients after giving birth, and a mobile shower program aimed at those in the region who are unhoused.

Valley Children’s was hailed for programs to help those with disabilities participate in adaptive sports programs, a child abuse prevention and treatment center; and a family support program for those with epilepsy.