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Health Care Heroes honored
Dr. Maurice Masar, Board of Trustee member, and Casey Meza, CEO, of Clearwater Valley and St. Mary’s Hospital and Clinics were recently named as health care hero honorees by the Idaho Business Review. The awards banquet was held last Thursday, September 20 at the Doubletree Inn in Boise. 
There were three nominees in each of eight categories. Both received the ‘hero’ designation at the ceremony. Iris Hawley, SMHC/CVHC Quality Improvement Director, accepted the award on behalf of Meza who was in Minneapolis at the Benedictine Health System Conference. Dan Davis, BHS and CVHC/SMHC Board member, accepted the award on behalf of Dr. Masar who was in Moscow addressing a coroner’s conference. Dr. Masar was honored in the volunteer category for his involvement on the board of the two hospitals, his backcountry medical rescue team efforts, his role in starting the Clearwater County child abuse prevention task force and his role with the Clearwater County EMTs. Meza was honored in the professional category for guiding the two hospitals since their partnership began in 1998. The collaboration of two rural hospitals has been cited as a model for reducing overhead and increasing available services. Under her guidance the two facilities have acquired permanent CT scanners, increased the number of health care providers, built a clinic in Cottonwood, expanded the ER in Orofino, acquired an electronic medical record software system and increased the number of outpatient visits and inpatient days. They are featured in the latest issue of the Idaho Business Review. The Health Care Heroes program is sponsored by the Idaho Medical Association, the Idaho Hospital Association, Regence Blue Shield of Idaho, Idaho State University and others. |
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