Published in: Cecil Daily

6/3/2015 – BEL AIR — Lisa Karmel, director of guest services at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) received the Josie King Hero Award recently. The award founded by the Josie King Foundation and presented at a senior leadership team meeting, recognizes those who create a culture of patient safety.

The award has been presented four times nationally, and Karmel is the first member of the UM Upper Chesapeake Health team to receive it. It was presented by MaryBeth Foard-Nance, a patient-family advisor at UM UCH, who also nominated Karmel for the honor.

Karmel has been a member of the UM UCH team for 30-years. She has led the guest services team since 1999. In addition, she is a member of the hospital’s ethics committee and chairs the Patient and Family Centered Care Process Action Team. This group works with patients and their families to find mutually beneficial ways to coordinate patient care.

“We are very proud of Lisa Karmel. Patient safety and quality care are the cornerstones of our culture of excellence, and through her example and hard work, we are seeing great results for our patients, families and community,” said Lyle E. Sheldon, President and CEO at UM Upper Chesapeake Health.

The Josie King Foundation works to unite healthcare providers and consumers and funds innovative safety programs to create a culture of patient safety. The foundation was named in memory of Josie King, an 18-month old who died of medical errors in 2001. The Josie King Hero Award recognizes those who value patient safety by setting an example for others and inspiring positive change.

“I am so humbled to receive this award,” Karmel said, “and I am so lucky to have the position I do.”

In December 2013 Upper Chesapeake Health became University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. It consists of the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air and the University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace. The leading health care system and largest private employer in Harford County, UM Upper Chesapeake Health offers a broad range of health services, technology and facilities to the residents of northeastern Maryland.

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