EL’s Life hospital and rehab are tops
THE Eastern Cape Life healthcare group’s facilities were lauded as the best in the country at the inaugural Life Achiever Awards.
Life hospitals in the Border-Kei region and Port Elizabeth took the most coveted awards earlier this month.
Bruce Janssens, regional manager of both regions, said East London’s Life Rehabilitation and Life St Dominic’s Hospital were named rehabilitation team of the year. Life Rehabilitation, the only rehab unit in the province, beat six other facilities because of its strength of teamwork and a “we can” attitude towards patient care.
“The team takes great pride in their patients’ achievements, which is evident in their ongoing entries into community events such as the Merrifield Mile, 48hour charity spinathon and the Daily Dispatch Fun Run,” he said.
Desiree Cox, a registered nurse and unit manager at the facility, was named rehab unit manager of the year.
Criteria for this acclaim included financial performance, the implementation of new products, driving efficiency projects, ensuring the quality and patient outcomes in the unit were above target for the year, and ensuring therapists and doctors in the unit were continually trained in the latest therapy and rehabilitation interventions.
Life St Dominic’s hospital manager Laro Fourie took home the hospital manager of the year award in the large hospital category.
This award was based on doctors’ relationships including attracting new and retaining current doctors, new initiatives or innovations, new lines of business, hospital performance, dealing with hardships and difficulties, leadership, teamwork and organisational loyalty.
Sister Melanie Gelderbloem from Life Mercantile Hospital in Port Elizabeth won the Jakes Gerwel Life Achiever Award, also known as the “service hero” award due to projects she implemented at the hospital and in her community, to the benefit of others.
Another sister from the facility, unit manager Sharon Windvogel, received an award for her passion and ability to choose a winning team. —