Tidelands Health Director Earns National Award for Advocacy Efforts
Staff Report From South Carolina CEO
Wednesday, May 15th, 2019
The region’s largest health care provider has earned national recognition for its efforts to advocate on behalf of patients, the community and health systems.
Those efforts were recognized Monday when Carl Lindquist, director of strategic communications and advocacy for Tidelands Health, was presented with the American Hospital Association’s 2019 Grassroots Champion award.
The award recognizes one hospital leader in each state annually for his or her efforts to “effectively deliver the hospital message to elected officials; help broaden the base of community support for hospitals; and advocate tirelessly on behalf of patients, hospitals and communities,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of AHA.
Lindquist was nominated for the award by the South Carolina Hospital Association.
“This recognition is a reflection of our organization’s firm commitment to our patients and the communities we serve,” Lindquist said. “Much as we support them through the care our clinical team provides, we also have a responsibility to advocate for their interests with community leaders and elected and appointed officials.”
Under the leadership of President and CEO Bruce Bailey, the health system’s advocacy efforts have expanded in recent years to include annual presentations to business and community leaders, regular engagement with local, state and federal officials and the development of an award-winning publication called “Tidelands Health Briefing,” as well as a variety of other efforts.
Most recently, members of the health system traveled to the state Capitol to advocate on behalf of a proposed state law that would enhance criminal penalties for people who commit violence against health care workers. The goal of the measure is to deter patient-perpetrated violence.
On hand as lawmakers considered the bill were Bailey, Ashley Capps, associate vice president of nursing operations at Tidelands Health, and Deborah Gainey, head nurse in the emergency department at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital.