Awards

Summa Health Hospice has received multiple awards honoring our continuous work to improve the quality of life of the patients we serve. Because of efforts to equitably provide effective, patient-centered, timely, safe and efficient palliative care, Summa has won the following awards.

GWEP

The department of geriatrics, partnering with Northeast Ohio Medical University completed the second year of a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This $3.7million, 5-year grant, the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), was the only such grant issued in the state of Ohio. In partnership with Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging, The University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and others build on previous successes to provide education to primary care providers and offices, professionals and direct care workers interprofessional students, and community members. The collaborative has also partnered with the Middlebury Neighborhood and the Ohio Coalition on Cognitive Health to provide dementia care training to community members. 

Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE)

NICHE is the country's leading nurse-driven program designed to help hospitals improve the care of older adults. The program, based at the NYU College of Nursing, is comprised of 500 hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout North America.

Summa Health System – Akron, St. Thomas and Barberton Campuses and Summa Health Center at Wadsworth-Rittman have earned NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) designation for senior care.

Summa Health System – Akron and St. Thomas Campuses have achieved “Exemplar” status from NICHE, which is the highest level of designation. We achieved the Exemplar level because of excellence in the areas of organizational structure, leadership, geriatric staff competence and more. The NICHE designation and the Exemplar status demonstrate Summa Health’s resolve to provide senior healthcare serves that are patient-centered, high quality, sensitive and responsive. We Strive for organizational excellence, system-wide quality and actions that greatly improve patient outcomes and satisfaction levels.

Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

In 2020, Summa Health System – Akron Campus has received Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) - Level 3 from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). Summa Health Akron Campus is one of just two hospitals in Northeast Ohio with this accreditation.

Age-Friendly

The Summa Senior Health Center has achieved the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) designation for Age-Friendly in 2020.