In 2022 Punxsutawney Area Hospital was designated a TOP 20 Rural and Community Hospital in the US by the Chartis Group.  Our 49-bed hospital celebrated this success with its 400 employees, medical staff, board, and community.  With more than 800 eligible hospitals, Punxsutawney, like the cream in the many farms in the region: “rose to the top.” It is impossible to identify one person as the hero for the designation but when we look at the internal leader who guides our organization to improve, retool, redesign, assess and improve the delivery of care at Punxsutawney Area Hospital, a cornerstone of the designation, we think of Robin Moran MSN, our Director of Quality and Patient Safety. I would like to think on the back end of the pandemic, most hospitals are re-focusing, restarting, and refreshing their quality initiatives.  Perhaps 2024 should be the Year of the Hospital Quality Leader.  These unsung heroes are charged with using evidence-based practices and collecting and harvesting data to drive success, improve clinical quality, and be one of the most trusted voices in rural healthcare.  Quality professionals are often the last people to be ‘on the billboard’ or thanked by patients and families, but they are so often the ones who design the care impacting outcomes for rural patients and families.  

Robin Moran has spent more than 30 years in her role as Director of Quality and Patient Care.  She is respected in this organization, beginning in the role of intensive care nurse in the 1980s. One of Robin’s greatest strengths is her ability to collaborate with the medical staff administration and the frontline staff- as she is respected at all levels.  Robin embraces up-to-date clinical practices and evidence-based initiatives to drive success.  Robin has maintained a spirit of ‘can do’ for decades. Simply put, “Robin is changing rural hospital care delivery every day.” Robin is transforming the care delivered by PAH. Whether looking at refining the continuum of services we deliver and eliminating ‘gaps;’ in those services or guiding bigger processes like reduction of readmissions, Robin takes the lead and is both a voice from above and a roll up her sleeves and ‘git er done’ pragmatic leader.  Like many quality professionals, Robin is the workhorse and shies away from the high-profile meetings and public relations activities.  She is on the cutting edge of current best practices and has made a strong dedicated commitment to lifelong learning.  

Robin is data-focused…. And uses information and data to ensure the organization is a leader in the delivery of care. While so many rural Pennsylvania hospitals struggle, Robin has embraced the role quality plays with overall efficiency and a strong bottom line.  Quality is a ‘big job’, and Robin manages to drive her success at the grassroots level.  Under her guidance, each of the hospital's 40 departments is collecting data identifying ‘broken’ systems and using tools to change systems and processes.  We often hear Quality is a ‘race without a finish’…… but in June of 2024 Robin will be retiring from a 30+ year career of quality.  Robin is a rural health hero, an unsung hero, and a representative of the many quality leaders in every rural hospital in Pennsylvania.  We celebrate her commitment and her dedication to the profession, to our organization, and to the countless patients who have been impacted by her leadership. 

A hero works selflessly to improve care for the rural residents we serve- - that IS Robin Moran. 

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Robin Moran is a strong leader who focuses on Faith, Family, and her profession QUALITY NURSING. 

FAITH.   To know Robin is to know her Christ-centered life.  Robin quietly carries her faith into all facets of her life, leading by example and continuing to strive toward a life that is in balance.  As a 7th Day Adventist, Robin exemplifies the words: understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus.  A true believer in lifelong learning, Robin is continuously looking to grow in her faith.  On her office wall:  
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD
Difficult moments, Seek God
Quiet moments, worship god
Painful moments, trust God
Every moment, thank God.  

FAMILY.  Let's start with Robin's parents:  To hear Robin talk about her family is to hear the definition of ‘family’, Robin has such respect for and commitment to her loving parents- it's impressive. You know they are amazing because just look at how wonderful Robin is.  Robin and her husband have carved out a relationship of love and faith and fun. (and a big new family to the east).   For Robin's daughter and son-in-law, Robin was a poster child for bringing up a daughter oftentimes alone while balancing and leaning into family and faith.  But most importantly, would be B, Robin's grandson.  Who has opened up a whole new world of what it means to be a grandparent.  When Robin talks of B her heart opens.  (And flutters…. But in the good way- not a let's spend the weekend in ICU way!) On her office wall:  
A Calendar with pictures of all of her family:  enjoying life.

QUALITY AS A PROFESSION.  … let's talk clinical excellence and commitment to the people in our tri-county region.  Robin and Punxsutawney Area Hospital:  Like many young nurses, Robin had a passion for nursing and patient care.  Working in the hospital's ICU, Robin established herself as a clinical leader very early.  In addition to honing her skills as a newish nurse, Robin was directly involved with shaping the nursing culture with connections to education and the Punxsutawney Area Hospital Nurses Club.  Very early in her career, Robin was groomed for a bigger role.  Robin worked hard, and for all those people who say:  if you want to get something done, give it to a person who is already busy:  you know Robin.  Robin has taught us a whole new vocabulary:  process/data/root cause/value based/ evidence based/blame free/patient centered/bedside care……  and that’s just a few.  Robin is the world's best teammate because she listens, compromises, researches, understands, does what she says, and says what she does.  She IS the workhorse on most teams.  Robin makes the suits look really smart.  Robin always shies away from the spotlight.  On her office wall:  

"Quality is not an act; it is a habit"- Aristotle

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that I has taken place"- George Bernard Shaw

And finally, how ironic that Robin has the ‘VALUES’ of the hospital posted on her office wall because no one better lives the hospital's values for more than 35 years:

ROBIN Embraces the value of life and treats each patient with equal dignity, RESPECT, and compassion
ROBIN Supports a strong work ethic which promotes pride in self and PRIDE in performance
ROBIN Promotes a sense of EMPOWERMENT and personal worth throughout the organization, which recognizes individual potential and contribution toward quality improvement
ROBIN Dedicates her SERVICE to the people of the tri-county area as a healthcare advocate.