The Leapfrog Group awarded Mercy Health – Cincinnati’s Chief Clinical officer Stephen (Steve) Feagins, MD Special Recognition for Heroism During the Pandemic. The honor recognizes heroes who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to patient safety amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The recognition was announced yesterday as part of the 2020 Leapfrog Annual Meeting. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers focused on health care safety and quality.
In addition to being a key member of Mercy Health – Cincinnati’s incident command team throughout the pandemic and serving as the medical director of Hamilton County Public Health, Dr. Feagins sits on committees with the Cincinnati Health Collaborative, which brings together all the regional health systems to coordinate the response to health issues, including COVID.
He’s launched and continues to hold informative lunchtime sessions attended by hundreds over Zoom that feature the latest updates on COVID-19. Additionally, he’s kept our community informed by giving countless media interviews on the latest COVID-19 news, including everything from wastewater testing strategies to vaccine development to how to keep our kids safe in schools and what we need to do to stem the spread of this disease.
“Steve has tirelessly helped guide and shape our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, not just within Mercy Health – Cincinnati but also within our ministry and in Hamilton County,” said Mercy Health – Cincinnati President David Fikse. “He is well deserving of this recognition.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has required hospitals and people who work in hospitals to sacrifice and lead as never before. Leapfrog holds hospitals accountable for the highest standards of excellence in patient care because we know how important it is, and never more so than during a health crisis. We are honored to give special recognition to Dr. Stephen Feagins for his heroism during the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We thank him for his profound service to his community and his powerful example for all Americans.”
Hospital staff and leadership across the United States submitted nominations for this one-time award. An interdisciplinary committee of Leapfrog leaders and advisors selected the winners.