(SALINAS, CA — October 31, 2015) – Natividad Medical Center (NMC)has been recognized by the Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes (CALNOC) with a 2015 Award for Performance Excellence for Preventing Hospital Acquired Ulcers. CALNOC is a non-profit agency and the leading provider of actionable information and research on nursing sensitive indicators. This information helps hospital executives make decisions that advance improvement in patient care quality, safety, and outcomes. CALNOC gave out its awards at a conference last week.

Chosen from more than 250 eligible CALNOC hospitals, NMC was recognized for its commitment and dedication to nursing quality. “Natividad Medical Center is honored to receive this recognition, as it directly reflects the commitment of the hospital and our nursing team to the high quality care that we deliver daily to our patients,” says Gary Gray DO, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Executive Officer.
A pressure ulcer, sometimes called a bedsore, is an injury to the skin or underlying tissue, caused by pressure, friction and moisture. These ulcers often occur when patients have limited mobility and can’t change positions in bed on their own. Hospitals must pay special attention when pressure ulcers occur, they must be treated quickly or they can damage the skin and muscles, slow recovery, and cause pain, infection and other problems.

Hospital officials credit dedicated staff for NMC’s continuing success in this area.

About Natividad Medical Center
Owned and operated by Monterey County, NMC is a 172-bed, acute-care hospital providing health care services to county residents for more than 129 years. Based in Salinas, California, NMC offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 34,000 patient days of care each year and has more than 52,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is a Level II Trauma Center providing the immediate availability of specialized personnel, equipment and services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. NMC’s Trauma Center is a vital community service locally that saves lives and eliminates the need to fly critically injured patients to a distant trauma center. NMC is ranked No. 1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County and is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 300 physicians, NMC’s mission is to continually monitor and improve the health of the people, including the vulnerable, in Monterey County through coordinated, affordable high-quality health care. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.