The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) recently awarded Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center a Patient Safety and Quality Award recognizing the hospital’s achievement in improving patient safety and medical outcomes.

The hospital was recognized for its project, “Dolls Aren't Just for Babies Anymore,” which identified patients at risk for falls in the hospital and developed a strategy for reducing risk. The project won second place in the Hospitals with Over 300 Beds category.

“Atrium Health Navicent is committed to redefining care – for you, for us, for all – and taking steps to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality health care,” said Atrium Health Georgia Market President Delvecchio Finley. “We extend our thanks to GHA for recognizing our teammates for their creativity and innovation in finding new ways to keep our patients safe.”

In 2024, a group of nurses identified a pattern in falls among confused patients. Despite industry recommended interventions such as fall mats, alarms, safe environments, virtual patient observation and sitters, these patients continued to have incidents of falling from their beds.

In response, nurses started a trial program in which these patients were each given a swaddled doll. Nurses monitored the patients for evidence of calming as well as decreased falls. Results showed an improvement in patients’ mental status, and a decrease in the prevalence of falls from three before doll therapy to zero in the five days following doll therapy.

“Results of the trial were overwhelmingly positive for both men and women, and it was amazing to see how the patients bonded with the dolls, even naming them,” said Atrium Health Navicent Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrice Walker. “Congratulations to the Atrium Health Navicent nurses involved in the project on this much-deserved recognition.”

Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center was also presented with a Circle of Excellence Award, an honor given to hospitals and health systems that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to quality and patient safety as evidenced by not only winning a patient safety award this year, but by earning three or more Patient Safety and Quality Awards within the previous five years.

“It is an honor to recognize GHA’s Patient Safety and Quality Award winners in person each year and this year, we are proud to recognize Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center for their outstanding work on the frontline to enhance patient safety and quality,” said GHA President and CEO Caylee Noggle. “The incredible projects presented by our member hospitals support GHA’s strategic initiatives, from access to care to behavioral health and rural health sustainability, among others. We are all working together to improve patient outcomes, and I applaud our member hospitals for continually stepping up to serve Georgians by providing high-quality care.”