America’s Essential Hospitals awarded Natividad Medical Center a 2025 Gage Award for quality improvement at a June 12 luncheon at VITAL2025 in Atlanta.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Gage Award for our ‘Hospital-Led Outreach to Reduce Anemia at Time of Delivery’ project,” said Chad Harris, MD, CEO, Natividad Medical Center. “This recognition reflects our commitment to improving maternal health outcomes, particularly for our Latina and Indigenous communities. Together with our dedicated team and community partners, we are proud to bring accessible, high-quality care to our patients. We hope this program serves as a model of care for other health care systems.”

Natividad Medical Center noticed that transfusion rates began to increase rapidly in 2021, especially among Latino and native indigenous communities from Mexico served by the hospital. Recognizing that undergoing multiple rounds of infusions posed a barrier to treatment for patients, hospital leaders secured Medicaid coverage for single-infusion therapy courses. Natividad’s obstetrics leadership team taught medical staff at eight community clinics about the negative effect of anemia, how to monitor patients’ hemoglobin and iron stores, and best practices in treating iron deficiency, which often involves up to eight rounds of iron infusions. From 2021 to 2024, the anemia rate at
participating clinics fell from 18.4% to 11.7%.

“Our members reach outside their walls to meet patients where they are and provide superior, person-centered care,” said Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals. “These awards spotlight innovative solutions that reflect their commitment to their mission.”

The Gage Awards, named after association founder Larry Gage, honor and share successful and creative member hospital programs that improve patient care and meet community needs. The Gage Award for quality improvement recognizes activities that improve the quality of care or that mitigate threats to patient safety.