Mayo Regional Hospital safety practices honored with SHAPE Award

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — In recognition of excellence in safety and health management for its employees, Mayo Regional Hospital was presented with the Safety and Health Award for Public Employees (SHAPE) Award during a ceremony on March 18 in the hospital’s Piscataquis Room. The SHAPE Award is presented by the Maine Department of Labor’s Safetyworks! initiative to honor public-sector organizations that voluntarily undertake a rigorous safety achievement program for employees.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    SHAPE AWARD FOR MAYO REGIONAL HOSPITAL — Department senior leaders at Mayo Regional Hospital pose with the SHAPE Award after being presented with the honor on March 18. The Dover-Foxcroft hospital was honored by the Maine Department of Labor for excellence in safety and health management for its employees.

    With the various hospital department senior leaders gathered for the presentation, Vice President of Quality and Education Nikki Chadwick said, “Everyone in this room was personally involved in achieving this award, and I want to thank you for that.”
    Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards Workplace Safety and Health Division’s Michael A. LaPlante — who was joined by Director of Labor Standards Pamela Megathlin in making the presentation to Mayo Regional Hospital — said, “We are here because we found an employer that has a safe and helpful work program. We don’t give this award out very lightly at all.”
    For the last year-plus Mayo Regional Hospital has been working on achieving SHAPE certification from the state. Criteria for the distinction includes a consultation visit involving a complete hazard identification survey, an involvement of employees in the consultation process, correcting all hazards identified by the consultant, implementing and maintaining a safety and health management system that at a minimum addresses self-assessment form guidelines, lowering the organization’s lost workday injury and illness rates and total recordable case rate below the state average and agrees to notify the workplace safety and health division prior to making any changes in the working conditions or introducing new hazards into the workplace.
    LaPlante said about 50 employers across Maine have received the SHAPE Award in the last decade, with a similar honor also being presented to private employers. He said the SHAPE Award recognizes “those positive employers who are trying to do what’s right.”
    He said the distinction is applicable for two years, and is a renewable commitment. “We do recognize your hard work,” LaPlante said, adding that there are many aspects to consider in giving a hospital the SHAPE Award.
    “This shows you are the best of the best of employers in Maine,” Megathlin said as she gave a SHAPE Award plaque to Chadwick. Megathlin said the plaque includes room at the bottom for additions, if Mayo Regional Hospital has the distinction renewed in two years.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    AWARD PLAQUE — Mayo Regional Hospital Vice President of Quality and Education Nikki Chadwick, right, is presented with the SHAPE Award by Maine Department of Labor Director of Labor Standards Pamela Megathlin.

    “We congratulate Mayo Regional Hospital for becoming SHAPE certified,” Gov. Paul R. LePage said in a statement. “The hospital knows that keeping workers safe is not only good for the people of Maine, but also good for their community and taxpayers. Better safety means less lost time due to injury and illness as well as lower workers’ comp costs.”