How does a small, community hospital provide high-quality, personalized care to rural patients in New Hampshire and Vermont? Hard work, staff education and new certifications, state-of-the-art technology, and expanded programs and services to meet patient needs.
“2023 was a year of economic uncertainty, global conflict, and worry over wellness and work/life balance,” said Sue Mooney, CEO and president of APD. “But APD’s staff responded with resilience and innovation, continually making improvements to better patient care. This dedication to improving the health and wellness of our neighbors will continue in 2024.”
We rounded up APD’s awesome achievements for 2023. Here are 23:
ONE
Newsweek’s America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2024 list ranked APD as the #3 hospital in New Hampshire. APD was the only New Hampshire hospital with a Patient Satisfaction award.
TWO
Becker’s Hospital Review reports APD received five-star ratings for nurse communication and physician communication from annual Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data. APD patients feel that their providers explain things clearly, listen carefully, and treat them with courtesy and respect.
THREE
Sue Mooney, MD, MS, CEO and president of APD, was named to the 2024 class of the New Hampshire 200, New Hampshire Business Review’s biennial ranking of the Granite State’s top business leaders.
FOUR
APD’s Diane Riley, MD, was the first surgeon in New England to offer carpal tunnel release with UltraGuideCTR and ultrasound guidance. This minimally invasive technique can be done under local anesthesia and most patients return to normal activities within three to six days.
FIVE
Looking for a family friendly emergency room visit? APD’s Emergency Department has been recognized under the Always Ready for Children program offered by New Hampshire EMS for Children.
SIX
APD’s Emergency Department also participated in the COMET (Community Outreach Mobile Education Training) program to enhance the care provided to the pediatric community. Training was held in APD’s care area with real-time scenarios based on common pediatric emergencies.
SEVEN
APD earned an Education Recognition Program certification from the American Diabetes Association, which means patients are provided with consistent, high-quality diabetes care within primary care.
EIGHT
U.S. News & World Report named Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital among Best Hospitals 2023-2024 for Hip Replacement, recognizing APD’s reputation for high-quality, personalized care with excellent outcomes.
NINE
Kristie Foster, manager/clinical educator in APD’s Emergency Department, was chosen as a 2023 Excellence in Nursing Award recipient by New Hampshire Magazine and the New Hampshire Nurses Association.
10
APD’s Emergency Department won the Guardian of Excellence - Patient Experience award from Press Ganey. The recognition means Alice Peck Day is in the top 5% of healthcare providers delivering high-quality patient experience.
11
APD’s Emergency Department launched a much-needed service for area seniors: a call-back program. APD’s nurse-led outreach promotes an effective transition of care, confirming patients understand next steps and have the resources follow through with care recommendations.
12
APD donated an electrocardiogram (EKG) machine to a hospital in Ukraine caring for wounded soldiers and civilians. The EKG will help providers diagnose cardiac issues with higher accuracy.
13
APD EVS employees completed the Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician (CHEST) program. They are certified experts in the subject of cleaning and disinfecting exam rooms, medical surgery rooms, operating rooms, and emergency department rooms.
14
Candace Allen, Pharmacy Technician at APD, won Pharmacy Technician of the Year for the Dartmouth Health system in October 2023. The award is given to the pharmacy technician who demonstrates the highest professional standards of patient care.
15
APD’s Infusion Clinic now offers intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusions — a pooled antibody used to normalize a compromised immune system — and blood transfusions, donated blood or blood components given through an IV.
16
APD’s Environmental Services team started using a mobile app called Rover. After patients from Emergency, Inpatient, Same Day Surgery, or Short Stay are discharged, Rover automatically generates real-time requests for areas or rooms in need of service.
17
APD nurses learned how to use ultrasound technology to improve their ability to start IVs (intravenous access). This new technique decreases the number of failed IV starts.
18
APD’s first blood drive in partnership with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) Blood Donor Program collected 39 units. The impact was immediate: the APD donated units were used that weekend at DHMC.
19
In February, APD completed construction of a 5,600-square-foot addition that made space for a new Materials Management warehouse and a larger Central Sterilization department — important functions for hospitals like APD with a significant surgical program.
20
APD sponsored LUNAFEST®, an award-winning traveling film festival showcasing short films directed and produced by women filmmakers. Because of support of local organizations like APD, LUNAFEST visited the Upper Valley for the first time in 2023.
21
Upper Valley Smiles, a free dental health program for school kids created and hosted by APD, visited 10 schools in 2023. More than 400 students received much needed dental services.
22
APD was a sponsor of the third annual MedTech Collaborative conference in 2023. The initiative was created to encourage economic development and raise awareness of medical device and healthcare technology activities in the region and APD has sponsored MedTech since its founding in 2020.
23
Orthopedic surgeons at APD started offering knee and hip joint replacement procedures with new joint mapping and robotic-assisted surgical tools. This technology improves the precision of implant positioning and optimizes post-surgical hip and knee function.