McLeod Receives 2010 South Carolina Safety Awards

McLEOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 7 APRIL 2011

(4/07/11) – McLeod Health is pleased to announce that five facilities within the McLeod Health organization have been awarded the 2010 South Carolina Excellence in Employee Safety Award by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. These facilities include: McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Medical Center Dillon, McLeod Health & Fitness Center, McLeod Home Health and McLeod Physician Associates. McLeod was the only hospital statewide to receive these awards.

The Safety, Health and Security Committee of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce honors those South Carolina businesses that have excellent safety records with the South Carolina Safety Award. This award is designed to recognize companies and their employees who have had a commendable Lost Workday Case Rate during the 2010 calendar year. The Lost Workday Case Rate is the number of employee hours worked at a facility divided by the number of cases that represented work days missed.

Helping McLeod Health achieve this honor was a committee of McLeod Occupational Health employees. Under the leadership of Octavia Williams-Blake, Director of McLeod Occupational Health, the committee is comprised of Dr. Peter Johnson, Medical Director of McLeod Occupational Health; Carol Penn & Amanda Coleburn, Nurse Practitioner’s, Kim McCracken, RN, and Luanne White, Occupational Health Specialist, who reports data on work-related injuries to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

"Without the support of all McLeod Directors, this award would not be possible," said Williams-Blake. Also instrumental in this achievement was the McLeod Safety Champion Program. Led by Kim McCracken, Assistant Director of McLeod Occupational Health, and Jessica Brown, Coordinator of McLeod Occupational Health, the Safety Champion Program is an employee safety-oriented program designed to reinforce safe behavior in the workplace.

One employee from each McLeod department is chosen to serve as Safety Champion. This person is responsible for monitoring employee safety within their departments during monthly rounds. "The role of the Safety Champion is essential to McLeod Health," said Brown. "Each departmental Safety Champion is committed to making McLeod the safest work environment possible by being aware of and practicing safe work behaviors."

For more information on the South Carolina Safety Award, please visit the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce website at www.scchamber.net.