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HRHCare Community Health is pleased to announce that Soraya McMahon, Operations Manager at the HRHCare Poughkeepsie Health Center at 75 Washington Street, will be presented with a Planetree Award for Innovation in Patient Care. This award is presented by the HRHCare Planetree Institute to exemplary employees who create innovative ways for patients to access high quality and affordable health care.
Earlier this year, Soraya McMahon spearheaded the implementation of a new system for workstations that increases the efficiency of patient interactions with front-desk staff. As the patient representatives are not fully visible to patients in the HRHCare Poughkeepsie waiting room, a system needed to be created to more clearly let patients know which workstation to approach. Ms. McMahon had the idea to mount lights on top of the workstations that turn on when the staff member is free to help a patient and turn off when he or she is assisting someone, whether on the phone or in person. A notice was also visibly posted in the waiting room, letting patients know how the new lighting system works. Additionally, Ms. McMahon numbered each workstation so that staff can call out their corresponding number to let patients know that they are free to help.
“The new lighting and numbering system has helped to create smoother operations, patient flow, and improved cycle times,” said Sherry Wyckoff, HRHCare Practice Manager for the Hudson Valley Northern Region. “It’s wonderful to now have a way for patients to know who is available to assist them.”
Ms. McMahon has been a member of the HRHCare family for sixteen years, coming to the organization after serving as a manager for Goodwill Industries and working on socioeconomic investigations abroad. She was the very first HRHCare Patient Care Partner, now known as Patient Navigators. When asked about why she is passionate about the work of HRHCare, Ms. McMahon responded, “HRHCare constantly strives to improve the health status of our communities. We treat patients as human beings, not just as numbers. I am proud to have grown along with the organization, and am honored to be a part of the HRHCare family.” In her spare time, Ms. McMahon enjoys volunteering for her town’s football program, working in her garden, and spending time with her grandchild – “He keeps me young at heart.”
Planetree is the global leader in advancing patient-centered care solutions, integrating the technology of modern medicine with the healing dimensions of compassion, comfortable surroundings, shared knowledge, and freedom to make educated choices. HRHCare has been an affiliate since 1996, and is one of the few Federally Qualified Health Center to be a part of this alliance. The HRHCare Planetree Institute was established in 2012 to provide state-of-the-art training to staff on delivering passionate and personalized care.
