Foundation for Healthy Communities Announces 2026 Award Recipients
CONCORD – The Foundation for Healthy Communities (FHC) presented several awards at the 2026 NHHA/FHC Annual Meeting on Monday, October 19, 2026.
Peter Ames, Executive Director, Foundation for Healthy Communities, presented the Honoring Excellence in Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Award to the Southern New Hampshire Health Bone Marrow Biopsy Improvement Team. The multidisciplinary team, comprised of experts in hematology, oncology, pathology, laboratory services, interventional radiology, nursing, CT services, endoscopy and quality management, analyzed bone marrow biopsy specimens and identified factors contributing to variation in timely diagnoses, effective treatment plans and patient outcomes.
By standardizing procedures and equipment, aspirate specimen adequacy increased by 33 percent, core biopsy adequacy improved by 11 percent and clot specimen adequacy increased by 38 percent. The initiative also led to continued multidisciplinary collaboration, reduced delays in diagnoses, minimized repeat procedures, lowered costs and improved patient experience.
Rebecca Cooper-Piela, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer, accepted the award on behalf of the Bone Marrow Biopsy Improvement Team.
Receiving the Clint Jones NH Nursing Award was Jasmine Sylvester of Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, presented by Kris Hering, Vice President of Quality Improvement, Foundation for Healthy Communities.
Sylvester, a 2023 graduate of Rivier University, is committed to professional growth and excellence in patient care, with a focus on improving outcomes and advancing nursing practice. She is a nurse in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, as well as a member of her hospital’s Research and Evidence Based Practice Committee, a unit-based practice co-chair, Magnet Champion,
mentor and preceptor.
The final award to be presented was the Innovator’s Award, which recognizes an individual whose vision, leadership and creativity have transformed health care delivery and improved the health of the communities we serve.
Julie Bosak, Director, Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network and the New Hampshire Perinatal Quality Collaborative at Dartmouth Health, received the Innovator’s Award for her efforts in improving outcomes for mothers and babies through collaboration and education programming, including the TeamBirth model which is being implemented in hospitals across New Hampshire.
Photo Courtesy: Amanda Bizarro Photography
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