PORT ANGELES — Eric Lewis, Olympic Medical Center chief executive officer, has been awarded a Grassroots Champion Award for the state of Washington by the American Hospital Association.
The honor — one per state each year — is bestowed upon “leaders who effectively deliver the hospital message to elected officials, broaden the base of community support for hospitals and advocate tirelessly on behalf of patients, hospitals and communities,” said Richard Pollack, association president and executive officer, in a letter to Lewis notifying him of the honor in March.
The association nominated Lewis for the award because of his dedication to the hospital mission on both the local and national level, according to Bobby Beeman, OMC communications and public affairs manager.
Lewis was presented with the award Wednesday afternoon during the OMC commissioners meeting.
“This is very nice and unexpected,” Lewis said during the presentation.
“I accept this award, but I truly think it says a lot about Olympic Medical Center.”
Said John Nutter, 2016 board president: “It is 100 percent true that Eric is well-supported in this work by an outstanding team.
“However, front and center of it all is Eric’s knowledge, vision and direction, and he deserves the recognition for his effectual leadership.”
“Advocacy is something the organization has focused on the last probably eight-plus years,” Lewis said.
“It has been a great team effort. The board [and] lots of leaders at OMC — we’ve really focused on this and we’ve made a difference at the state level and the federal level. We as a team have really accomplished something.”
Staff priorities
Advocating at the federal and state levels for adequate reimbursement for services, as well as appropriate legislation and regulations for rural health care, has been a priority for hospital staff, Beeman said.
Advocacy has included multiple visits by hospital staff to Capitol Hill and Olympia over the past few years, which has proven successful in building strong relationships with legislators and has contributed to a number of positive outcomes, Lewis said.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Eric for a number of years now, and he is clearly dedicated to our patients, our organization as a whole and to the community we serve,” said Nutter, who also is an active member of the board’s Legislative Advocacy Committee.
“I can’t think of anyone who deserves this award more than Eric,” Nutter added.
“He has been tenacious at advocating with state and federal officials to ensure they know our community and our local hospital, and that rural health care is appropriately funded.”
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
