In honor of its broad-based efforts to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of its community, Crozer-Keystone Health System in Delaware County, Pa. is the recipient of the 2013 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service, one of the most esteemed community service honors in healthcare.
Each year, this $100,000 prize is presented to a healthcare organization that provides innovative programs that significantly improve the health and well-being of its community. The Foster G. McGaw Prize is sponsored by The Baxter International Foundation, and the American Hospital Association (AHA) and Health Research & Educational Trust.
Named as finalists for this year's award and receiving $10,000 each are North Shore-LIJ Health System in Great Neck, N.Y.; Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas; and St. Joseph Health, Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Calif.
''Working with its community, Crozer-Keystone Health System's goal is to build a healthy place to live and work, and a sound environment in which to build and maintain a family,'' said John O'Brien, chair of the Foster G. McGaw Prize Committee. ''The system's exemplary community benefit programs address the entire lifespan - from programs that target the reduction of infant mortality to programs that support, educate and enable seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible. The main county that Crozer-Keystone serves has no county health department, making the system's leadership role in community health improvement of vital importance to vulnerable - and all - area residents.''
Crozer-Keystone Health System is a not-for-profit, community-based health system serving more than 550,000 individuals in Delaware County at its five hospitals, several outpatient centers, the Healthplex Sports Club and a comprehensive physician network of primary-care and specialty practices. With more than 6,800 employees, Crozer-Keystone is the largest employer in Delaware County, providing a full spectrum of wellness, prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and restorative care to communities where 35 percent of the population lives below the poverty level and more than 50 percent receive some form of government subsidy.
''For more than 20 years, Crozer-Keystone has worked to address the health needs of the residents of Delaware County,'' said Joan K. Richards, president and chief executive officer of Crozer-Keystone Health System. ''Through the efforts of many individuals, both inside and outside of our organization, we have been able to positively affect the health and well-being of thousands of people in our community. We are extremely proud that these efforts have been recognized with this prestigious award, particularly considering the excellent health systems from throughout the country who were nominated along with us.''
