Employee & Teams of the Year
Karl Harris
Employee of the Year
Presented in April 2017
Karl is a radiation therapist at Hartford Hospital in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He is known for taking the time to get to know each one of his patients. He values building lifelong relationships with them, and it shows. When not providing hands-on treatment, you can find him visiting his patients on the hospital floor or even attending outside fundraisers and special events to show his support. His commitment to caring extends far beyond the walls of the hospital. In his free time he works with at-risk youths in the Greater Hartford area. Karl makes a remarkable difference in the lives of people in and outside of Hartford Hospital.
Teams of the Year
Awards were presented at the annual Celebrating Achievements and Team of the Year Awards in November 2016.
VTE Action Team
Clinical Team of the Year
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), more commonly known as a blood clot, is an often under-recognized condition affecting as many as 900,000 patients in the country every year. At Hartford Hospital, a multi-disciplinary VTE Action Team works with all caregivers to reduce the incidence of blood clots among patients. The team consists of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, administrators, physical therapist and even information technology professionals. Last year the team’s hard work, collaboration and leadership resulted in a 40% reduction in Hartford Hospital’s VTE rate compared to the previous year. This amazing accomplishment is a testament to the team’s commitment to quality and patient safety.
Bed Management and Transfer Center Team
Clinical Support Team of the Year
The Bed Management and Transfer Center Team is staffed 24 hours a day by registered nurses and administrative support specializing in critical care experience. Their role is to facilitate emergency and non-emergent patient transfers to Hartford Hospital from other facilities and manage beds for the entire hospital. Since the team’s inception in 2008, the Transfer Center has experienced exponential growth and saw a record-breaking 6,130 transfers last year. The team also focused on improving the patient experience. By enhancing education to patients and their family members and providing needed psychosocial support, patient satisfaction scores among transfer patients increased dramatically.