Month: May 2014

Volunteers Honored as “Shining Stars”

Posted on by Speare Memorial Hospital

Speare Memorial Hospital’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon was a tribute to old Hollywood glamour showcasing its “shining stars”—our volunteers—complete with a Speare Walk of Fame, featuring a star for each of the Hospital’s 48 volunteers.

Student and Volunteer Services Coordinator Chris Fenn, welcomed everyone with a trip down memory lane noting Ann Blair had the longest tenure, having started back in 1977.  It was the same year Reiki Volunteer Tangi Sampson remembers being a Candy Striper at Speare.  Fenn said, “We do appreciate each and every one of you.”

CEO Michelle McEwen echoed that sentiment, saying, “We really appreciate this opportunity to bring you together and say ‘thank you.’  It is amazing the number of departments you all support.  You are a part of the team and your contributions make a difference in the lives of our patients, families and all of us.”

After lunch, Fenn awarded service pins to those volunteers who had given 100+ hours of service. The following volunteers were honored for their service:

100 Hours                                            500 Hours                                1000 Hours                  1500 Hours
Kristen Cochran                                  Joan Bergstrom                     Annie Martin               Irene Blake
Marie Gardner                                                                                      Elva Piehn
Ashley McClay                                                                                       Joan Poitras
Sarah Steenbergen                                                                              Bethany Ward
Michael Guy

2000 Hours                                          3000 Hours                              12,000 Hours
Richard Flanagan                                Kathy MacDonald                   Ginny Dunn
Carol Mabin
Carolyn Piantedosi

Additionally, long-time volunteer Marty Stokes was remembered for the 8,000 hours of service she gave over the last 14 years in Speare’s Medical Records Department.  Marty passed away in March and her family was presented the pin at her memorial service.  She was a proud and dedicated volunteer, but remembered as a friend.

If you are interested in volunteering at Speare, contact Chris Fenn, student and volunteer services coordinator, at (603) 238-6460.

Speare Memorial Hospital— nationally ranked as both an iVantage Top 100 Critical Access Hospital and a HealthStrong Hospital—is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth and the communities of central New Hampshire. Visit online at www.spearehospital.com and join us on Facebook and Twitter.  Speare Memorial Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Speare Memorial Hospital is Ranked Among the Best Hospitals in the Country

Posted on by Speare Memorial Hospital

Speare Memorial Hospital kicked off its Hospital Week festivities by celebrating being named among the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals nationwide on iVantage Health Analytics 2014 Top 100 list.  Additionally, Speare is ranked as a HealthStrong™ Hospital for 2014, a designation given to 547 of the 4,299 acute care hospitals in the United States.

“We are proud of the efforts of our physicians, nurses, clinical and administrative staff who have contributed to our hospital achieving these national designations,” says Speare Memorial Hospital’s President and CEO Michelle McEwen, FACHE.  “We place a tremendous emphasis on quality, performance and patient satisfaction, and this honor demonstrates our efforts are making a difference not only for our hospital, but for the local central New Hampshire communities we serve.”

Top-100-2014-logo Speare Memorial Hospital is Ranked Among the Best Hospitals in the Country Speare a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital in the United States

This is the third consecutive year Speare has been named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital nationally, scoring a 99 on iVantage Analytics Health Strength Index™ measuring 66 different publicly reported performance metrics including quality, outcomes, patient perspectives, affordability, population risk and efficiency.

John Morrow, executive vice president of  iVantage Health Analytics, notes, “The services provided in rural America are similar to those needed in any major metropolitan area, yet the volumes and economic resources provide little economies of scale.  These top Critical Access Hospital exhibit a focus concern for their community benefits and needs, regardless of scale, reimbursement and people’s ability to pay.”

Top-100-2014-logo Speare Memorial Hospital is Ranked Among the Best Hospitals in the Country HealthStrong-2014-logo Speare Memorial Hospital is Ranked Among the Best Hospitals in the Country Also Named a 2014 HealthStrong™ Hospital

Speare’s ranking also earned the hospital the designation of a 2014 HealthStrong™ Hospital.  Based on the same 66 publicly reported metrics that make up the Health Strength Index™, healthcare’s most comprehensive rating system of hospitals, Speare’s rank placed it among the top 547 acute care hospitals.  “The Hospital Strength Index analysis reveals that geographic variation, population health and superior performance are interrelated, and that they can result in lower cost, better outcomes and healthier communities,” says Morrow. More information about the Index can be found at www.ivantagehealth.com

Speare Memorial Hospital is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth and the communities of central New Hampshire. Visit online at www.spearehospital.com and join us on Facebook and Twitter.