Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills

A Surge Like No Other – How a Sole Community Provider Overcame All Odds

About Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills’ program

Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills is a sole community provider in the heart of the rural Catskill Mountains. In March 2020, as COVID-19 first peaked in New York City, they encountered surging volumes of patients with the virus; in the first two weeks of April 2020, cases in their county were the highest per capita of anywhere in the United States.

Focused on patient and staff safety and the continual use of quality improvement methods, Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills rose to the challenge. At their peak, the hospital increased acute care capacity by 125% of normal, with 72% of the capacity occupied by COVID-19 patients. Despite the significant surge, the hospital saw patient harms stay at a minimum, an improved culture of safety and staff engagement and a notably low healthcare provider infection rate.

About the award

The Pinnacle Award for Quality and Patient Safety recognizes initiatives that improve the quality of healthcare delivery in New York.