Norman Regional Health System Receives Oha Excellence in Quality for Innovation Award

The Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) presented its Excellence in Quality for Innovation award to Norman Regional Health System on Nov. 9 at its annual convention.

The Excellence in Quality award recognizes exceptional efforts to improve outcomes in clinical quality performance practices, capabilities and results that represents the highest level of professional acknowledgement from the OHA Council on Quality & Patient Safety.

Five award categories were recognized, four based on number of beds, and one for innovation.

Norman Regional’s Orthopedic Centers of Excellence submitted a project for the work the emergency rooms have done with pain blocks, which earned them the Innovation in Demonstrating Clinical Quality and Patient Outcomes award.

The project “utilizing emergency room pain blocks to reduce delirium complications in the hip fracture population.”

Cathy Snapp, a physical therapist and Norman Regional Health System’s Orthopedic Program Administrator submitted the award. “The residency program, Dr. Patrick Cody and Dr. Robin Mantooth as well as emergency room leadership were all instrumental in the success of this program,” Snapp said. “From fiscal year (FY) 2018 to FY 2022 the performance of emergency room pain blocks increased from 2% to 89% and from FY 2018 to FY 2022 the overall delirium rate decreased from 6% to 0% and delirium acquired prior to surgery was eliminated.”

Cathy Snapp, Orthopedic Program administrator, Jason Milam Emergency Services Director, James Chappel NRHS Board member and Richie Splitt Norman Regional Health System’s President and CEO.

Other programs that utilize emergency room pain blocks for hip fracture patients, administer the pain blocks by an anesthesiologist team or a block team. NRHS is unique in utilizing the trained emergency room medical staff for pain block.

“We have been contacted by health systems in Texas, Colorado, Ohio and Tennessee to see if they can utilize our methods in their system,” Snapp, said. “The OHA scoring committee also requested that our team participate in seminars/conferences in 2023 to share our project and would like us to submit a journal article as well.”

A total of 28 OHA member hospital award applications were submitted and scored based on strict, key measures and Norman Regional excelled.

“The goals of the awards are to recognize outcomes in clinical quality performance practices, capabilities, and results, share best clinical practices, challenges, and successes among Oklahoma hospitals, and stimulate innovation, knowledge and learning in achieving clinical quality and safety in health care among member hospitals,” said Patrice Greenawalt, OHA clinical initiatives manager.

Norman Regional’s team of orthopedic surgeons are highly skilled and uses the latest techniques and technology to make sure your time out isn’t permanent. Norman Regional's surgeons, nurses, therapists and more are dedicated to providing quality treatment delivered with a compassionate spirit every day!

To learn more about Norman Regional Health System’s Orthopedic Services visit our website.

In 2022, Norman Regional Hospital received the 2022 ACC NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Gold Performance Achievement Award for its care of heart attack patients. It is one of only 81 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

U.S. News and World Report recognized Norman Regional for its Cardiovascular and Inpatient Rehabilitation Centers of Excellence, with Rehab ranking top three in Oklahoma, in its “Best Hospitals” issue.

Norman Regional Health System was named one of America’s Best Hospitals for emergency care, heart care and stroke care by the Women’s Choice Award in 2022.