Frisbie Memorial Hospital honors colleagues with awards of distinction
ROCHESTER — Frisbie Memorial Hospital recently honored colleagues for their outstanding commitment to patient care, the patient experience, their colleagues and communities, as well as their dedication to humanitarian and volunteer activities. Each winner was nominated by their hospital peers.
Among the Awards of Distinction presented to the employees was a Frist Humanitarian Award. The Frist Humanitarian Award was created in 1971 to honor outstanding individuals for their humanitarian and volunteer activities. Named in honor of HCA Healthcare founder, Dr. Thomas F. Frist Sr., this award recognizes hospital employees, physicians, and volunteers who serve the community and those in need, and whose daily dedication and caregiving epitomize the highest standards of quality and personal commitment.
“This is Frisbie’s first time honoring one of our colleagues with a Frist Humanitarian Award since we became part of the HCA Healthcare system, and we’re incredibly proud of our nominees for all of our Awards of Distinction,” said Tim Jones, chief executive officer at Frisbie Memorial Hospital. “The award winners are among the best and brightest in healthcare and each day they demonstrate their commitment to providing high-quality care, and a positive experience for all of our patients, and to serving our community.”
The award winners are, with information from their nominations:
Awards of Distinction
Frist Humanitarian Award – Physician
William Morgan, MD, of Rollingsford, General Surgery
General surgeon William Morgan, MD, joined Frisbie Memorial Hospital in early 2022, and hit the ground running. He is committed to collaboration with his clinical colleagues across all service lines, and when he is not in the OR, he has taken it upon himself to get into the Greater Rochester community to engage with primary care physicians, nursing home residents and others to provide guidance, and tips for staying healthy. He not only brings significant experience to Frisbie with more than 20 years as a surgeon in Wisconsin, he also brings his infectious enthusiasm and positive outlook to help Frisbie provide the best possible care to its community.
Nursing Excellence – Compassionate Care
Annalese Balser, RN, of Wolfeboro, Resource Team
Annalese was hired at Frisbie in 2006 as a nurse on the resource team and in 2016 she was promoted to supervisor. Annalese is known throughout all departments — clinical and non-clinical — for her innate ability to problem solve, particularly in critical, quickly evolving situations while continuing to provide compassionate care for patients in her department and beyond. When the Frisbie operating room suite flooded in February due to burst pipes, Annalese quickly determined the scope of the flood, notified all necessary staff and emergency personnel including local police and fire departments. Her quick thinking saved the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars and enabled the hospital to continue to care for its patients. On a daily basis, Annalese is known for jumping in and assisting with patients on the inpatient units as well as the emergency department and behavioral health. She goes the extra mile to ensure that patients and staff are well cared for and treated with compassion.
Nursing Excellence – Professional Mentoring
Ermelinda “Ermie” Ramsey, RN, of Middleton, Surgical Services
Ermie was hired at Frisbie in October 2006 as a medical assistant and two years later she was promoted and became an RN on the float pool. In 2016, she was promoted again and became an RN in surgical services. During her seven years in surgical services, Ermie has been one of the most recognized employees by her peers, specifically for consistently going above and beyond expectations. She is a strong preceptor and makes quick and appropriate decisions. She is an informal leader, has an outstanding work ethic, is flexible and committed to her team.
Colleague of the Year
Melanie Bieniek of Barrington, Director of Rehabilitation Services
Mel joined Frisbie in March of 2017 as the director of rehabilitative services. Since joining Frisbie, Mel has consistently brought her passion for patient care to all that she does, leveraging quality and accountability. In addition, she has enhanced the quality outcomes with her team of therapists and aides. She is known throughout the hospital as an exceptional leader, strong communicator and collaborator, and is always open to new ideas and has the ability to “rally the troops.”
DHMC fellowship programs for nurse practitioners, physician assistants earn national distinction
LEBANON – Dartmouth Health’s Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center is now the only hospital in New England, and only the third nationally, to earn dual accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program. The accreditation applies to DHMC’s Post-graduate Fellowship Programs in Neurology and Palliative for nurse practitioners and physician assistants. DHMC joins Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in earning the highest level of accreditation from ANCC.
“For neurology, we are the first institution in the United States to be granted this accreditation from ANCC, and are feeling very proud to be leading the way,” said Jillian C. Belmont, DNP, MSN, APRN, AGACNP, director of the DHMC and Clinics Post-graduate Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Program. “Earning Accreditation with Distinction means we demonstrate exemplary and innovative practice in the domains of program leadership, program goals and outcome measures, organizational enculturation, development and design, practice-based learning, and our focus on wellness and joy in work for our fellows and faculty.”
DHMC was awarded Accreditation with Distinction, the highest recognition awarded by ANCC. In the award letter, ANCC noted that DHMC’s fellowship programs showed strength in their well-being initiatives, collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology and hospice and palliative fellowship collaborative retreats.
DHMC’s dual accreditations through ANCC are active through July 2027. To learn more about ANCC, visit nursingworld.org.
HCA Healthcare’s New Hampshire Hospitals launch online appointment scheduling option for outpatient mental health services and eating disorders center
ROCHESTER/PORTSMOUTH – Frisbie Memorial Hospital, Parkland Medical Center, and Portsmouth Regional Hospital now offer online scheduling for individuals 18 years and older seeking an appointment for outpatient mental health services through our Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP). Additionally, an online scheduling option is now available for the Reflections Eating Disorders Center at Parkland in Salem, New Hampshire.
The following are direct links to online scheduling of outpatient mental health services appointments:
Frisbie Memorial Hospital (PHP)
Parkland Medical Center (PHP and Eating Disorders)
Portsmouth Regional Hospital (PHP)
“This new online scheduling option for our partial hospitalization programs and our eating disorders center is designed to help patients in these programs make appointments more quickly, and easily,” said Justin Looser, HCA Healthcare NH market director of behavioral health services. “Patients can still call to make an appointment, but this new tool gives them the flexibility of online scheduling.”
Anyone who is experiencing a mental health emergency should call the New Hampshire Rapid Response line at 833-710-6477 or go to the nearest emergency room.