Yale New Haven Hospital Recognized for Excellence in Community Service with 2017 Foster G. McGaw Prize

Finalists from Oregon and Massachusetts also Honored

NEW HAVEN, Conn., January 23, 2018 – In honor of the exceptional efforts to build programs that promote engagement, job growth and access to quality health care in its community of New Haven, Yale New Haven Hospital is awarded the 2017 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service and will receive $100,000 towards programs that further these goals.

Each year, the prize is presented to a health care organization that provides innovative programs that significantly improve the health and well-being of its community. The Foster G. McGaw Prize is sponsored by Baxter International Foundation, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and its non-profit affiliate Health Research & Educational Trust.

Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) is a non-profit, primary university teaching hospital and a community safety net hospital in the heart of a diverse city. As a public health advocate, YNHH excels in creating innovative programs that support the areas accessibility to health care and economic growth. The hospitals’ active leadership roles in many community-based, health-related organizations allow it to continuously assess the health of their community. As a key community resource, health care provider, major employer and purchaser of goods and services, YNHH is committed to supporting the Greater New Haven area. 

“Yale New Haven Hospital is passionate about public health. Beyond providing excellent health care to their diverse communities, they see and nurture the connection between health and a stable neighborhood, good jobs and home ownership,” said John O’Brien, chair of the Foster G. McGaw Prize Committee. “As a result, their commitment extends far beyond the walls of their highly praised medical center to include building homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity; working with a local bank to help employees buy a home; and collaborating with a variety of agencies to bring job training and real jobs into the community.”

“Yale New Haven Hospital is extremely honored to be recognized with the prestigious Foster G. McGaw Prize for being a valued community partner in New Haven,” said Marna P. Borgstrom, CEO Yale New Haven Health and Yale New Haven Hospital. “We are proud to share this honor with so many outstanding organizations who have demonstrated a collective resolve to help improve the overall well-being of those we are privileged to serve. We firmly believe that the key to enhancing the long-term health of our communities resides not just within Yale New Haven, but outside of the walls of our hospital as well.”

Yale New Haven Hospital put careful consideration and study into the programs they have developed, which include stimulating community growth, improving children’s health, providing educational opportunities, ending homelessness and collaborating with local job recruiters through five multi-part initiatives:

• Nurturing Healthy Kids: A variety of wide-ranging programs demonstrating a longtime commitment to families – especially mothers and children. The hospital partners with parents to support healthy children through initiatives both within the hospital and in the community. These include: Me & My Baby; Healthy Start; Pediatric Dental Center; Supplemental Infant Program and School-Based Health Centers.

• Creating Educational Opportunities: A partnership with local schools and colleges to develop innovative programs that engage both students and parents. These prepare students for careers in health care and other in-demand professions. These include: School-to-Career Internship Program; New Haven Promise: Partnership; Minority Nursing & Allied Health Scholarships and the Gateway Community College Nursing Program. 

• Revitalizing Our Neighborhoods: A variety of programs to revitalize the neighborhoods where the hospital is situated. The hospital also participates in public and private projects that provide affordable housing and promote safe, healthy living conditions for families. These include: Habitat for Humanity; Lead Poisoning and Regional Treatment Center and HOME Program

• Working to End Homelessness: The city of New Haven has the highest concentration of both individuals and families in shelters in Connecticut. Yale New Haven is just one of many local and statewide partners in a continuum of community-based collaborators that help mitigate the risks to persons experiencing homelessness. Efforts include: the Medical Respite program; Overnight Warming Centers and the Coordinated Access Network. 

• Partnering with Local Recruiters: Outreach efforts to recruit and hire qualified local individuals for hospital positions. Partnerships with many local recruiting and job-training organizations to participate in job fairs and to assist in preparing unemployed and hard-to-employ people for the challenging, competitive job-seeking process. Among these efforts are: Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (ConnCAT); Workforce Alliance; New Haven Works and Career Resources.

Through programs like the Foster G. McGaw Prize, Baxter International Foundation continues to recognize and celebrate health organizations that support an integrated approach to better and more easily accessible care.

“The Foster G. McGaw Prize recognizes healthcare organizations that provide a holistic approach to improving the health and wellness of their communities. This year’s winner and finalists exemplify the elements and initiatives needed to address important community health issues,” said Stacey Eisen, president of Baxter International Foundation and vice president, global communications at Baxter. “Through involved leadership, dedicated staff and community collaboration, they significantly improve the lives of the most vulnerable residents in their communities.”

2017 Finalists

Three Foster G. McGaw finalists also were recognized for their significant community health programs and will each receive $10,000. These finalists include:

• Providence Health & Services in Portland, Oregon, for creating partnerships with local communities to provide access to social services, health care and disease prevention programs for low-income families.

• Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis, Oregon, for establishing community health initiatives that support the uninsured, underinsured, and most vulnerable residents in their region and programs that improve maternal and children’s health.

• UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., for its dedicated prevention programs, including preventive mental health services, a community-wide intervention targeting asthmatic public schools, a mobile health care unit, as well as recreation and job programs to promote positive youth development for inner-city children.

Contact: Gabriella Valentine, (202) 626-2264

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About the Foster G. McGaw Prize
The Foster G. McGaw Prize recognizes healthcare organizations that are committed to community service through a range of programs that demonstrate a passion and continuous commitment to making communities healthier and more vital. The prize, first awarded in 1986, inspires hospitals, health systems and communities to assess and implement programs that improve their communities. For more information, visit www.aha.org/foster. 

About the American Hospital Association
The American Hospital Association is a not-for-profit association of healthcare provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. Its not-for-profit research and education affiliate, the Health Research & Educational Trust, aims to create new knowledge, tools and assistance in improving the delivery of healthcare by providers and practitioners within the communities they serve. For more information, visit www.aha.org.

About Baxter and Baxter International Foundation
Baxter and Baxter International Foundation are committed to saving and sustaining lives and creating healthier communities. Every day, Baxter employees strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people who depend on Baxter products, and in the communities where employees live and work. The company focuses on three core areas including improving access to healthcare; fostering tomorrow’s innovation and serving its communities. Baxter works closely with public and private partners around the world to ensure people have access to the healthcare they need, to develop the next generation of innovators who will lead the way in advancing care, and to create long-lasting impact in Baxter’s communities. Baxter International Foundation supports initiatives and organizations that make a positive, lasting impact on increasing access to healthcare for the disadvantaged and underserved. For more information, visit www.baxter.com.

Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), part of Yale New Haven Health, is a nationally recognized, 1,541-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine (YSM). Founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826, today, YNHH has two New Haven-based campuses, and also includes Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. YNHH has received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor of nursing excellence. YNHH has a combined medical staff of about 4,500 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. www.ynhh.org