Partners Continuing Care and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network President David Storto has been awarded the William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award for 2017.

The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association (MHA) presented the award to Storto as part of its annual meeting.

The award is a public acknowledgement of one senior hospital or health system executive who exemplifies exceptional leadership and the characteristics to which all healthcare provider leaders aspire, according to a media release from Partners HealthCare.

“David’s vision for Partners’ post-acute care combined with years of planning and advocacy produced the new state-of-the art patient-centered Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital that opened in Spring of 2013, just 12 days after the Boston Marathon bombing,” says Keith Hovan, outgoing Chair of MHA’s Board of Trustees and President & CEO, Southcoast Health in New Bedford, who presented Storto with the award.

“Spaulding’s treatment of some of the most injured survivors certainly contributed to broader community understanding and support for post-acute care. And it’s an interesting coincidence that a striking example of David’s personal commitment and tenacity is also connected to the Marathon—David has run the Boston Marathon 10 times with the Spaulding team and ranks among the highest fund raisers each year for that event,” he adds.

Since 1998, Storto has created and developed Partners Continuing Care as a unique, fully integrated and cohesive post-acute care services division of Partners HealthCare. This system manages access and care across the continuum of inpatient rehabilitation, long-term acute care, skilled nursing, outpatient rehabilitation and homecare under a single management and governance system. Partners Continuing Care has been recognized as a best-practice model by the Center for Post-Acute Innovation and Research and by Sg2, a national health care consultancy, the release continues.

In his nomination submission for Storto, Partners Continuing Care Board Chair Scott Schoen shares, per the release, “I have marveled at David’s ability to have the vision to steadfastly focus on large scale strategic projects while never losing sight of the personal connections that make this work so meaningful… At the same time no matter the scale of issues faced, David never allows any of us to lose sight of the human connections necessary to do this work, whether personally advocating for persons with disabilities to have greater inclusion opportunities or a sharp focus on the patient quality metrics such as safety and environment of care.”

The William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award was created to embody the spirit of William Lane, who led Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass, for many years. The award recognizes professional excellence, outstanding achievements, innovative accomplishments, extraordinary compassion in caring for patients, success in overcoming barriers, and exemplary contributions to effective advocacy on behalf of hospitals, patients, and the healthcare system.

[Source: Partners HealthCare]