FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- Col. Peter Nielsen, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital commander, received the Missouri Hospital Association's 2015 Visionary Leadership Award Nov. 5 at the MHA's 93nd Annual Convention & Trade Show in Osage Beach, Missouri.
One of only two recipients of the prestigious annual award this year, Nielsen was recognized for his commitment and contributions toward safety and improving the health of the greater Fort Leonard Wood community, and for organizing preparedness activities during the Ebola crisis in 2014.
"Col. Nielson understands the importance of the hospital to both the Fort and the surrounding community," said Herb B. Kuhn, MHA president and CEO. "He's committed to improving care quality at the hospital, and community health on-post and off."
During 2014, an enhanced effort to ensure a safe environment of care for GLWACH beneficiaries, staff and the Fort Leonard Wood community was initiated with the emerging concern of a potential EBOLA outbreak.
Nielsen directed hospital leadership and staff, the hospital's emergency response team, logistics department, preventative medicine, and quality management personnel to engage with tenant facilities such as the Marine Corps and the Army's Chemical Defense Training Facility located on Fort Leonard Wood, as well as with civilian health departments and other off post entities.
Nielsen ensured that staff was given sufficient time to train, financial resources were available to purchase equipment, and a sustainment plan was integrated. Focus was specifically placed on increasing community awareness for a potential outbreak, and staff and patient education.
The Chemical Defense School located on Fort Leonard Wood partnered with GLWACH to conduct simulated training and evaluate GLWACH's preparedness of its pandemic response team for decontamination processes in the event of an outbreak.
Partnership with Marine Corps leadership on Fort Leonard wood provided Marine specialists to educate patients and staff on the appropriate wear of Personal Protective Equipment designed for pandemic situations.
Standardization of processes and equipment, and ongoing patient and staff education were instituted to ensure GLWACH is continually prepared in the event of a pandemic outbreak.
Due to this successful preparation, GLWACH's efforts were acknowledged by higher level medical command. GLWACH's equipment assemblage expertise was requested to support other Army medical treatment facilities.
Hospital staff also provided an informational booth event with PPE demonstrations to increase staff and community awareness.
Enhanced prevention efforts and education attributed to a successful assessment of GLWACH's preparedness for potential pandemic outbreak.
Networking with our Fort Leonard Wood Chemical School enhanced our community relationships and better prepared GLWACH to successfully manage a potential outbreak of infectious disease patients.
GLWACH's resourcefulness in obtaining EBOLA assemblage ensured the organization was fully prepared in the event of an outbreak.
During his 27-year Army career, Nielsen has served overseas four times including two combat deployments to Baghdad, Iraq, as Deputy Commander for Clinical Services of Medical Task Force 86 and the 86th Combat Support Hospital.
Nielsen is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, the Interagency Institute for Federal Healthcare Executives, and the U.S. Army War College.
The Missouri Hospital Association is a not-for-profit association in Jefferson City that represents 150 Missouri hospitals. In addition to representation and advocacy on behalf of its membership, the association offers continuing education programs on current health care topics and seeks to educate the public, as well as legislative representatives, about health care issues.
(Editor's note: MHA's Public and Media Relations Department and GLWACH staff contributed to this story)
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