July 13, 2001

The Nathaniel Bowditch Prize was created to recognize both clinicians and nonclinicians who have made significant contributions to improving quality of care while reducing costs at the MGH. The $5,000 award was established in 2000 by Charles and Nancy Munger, through the Alfred C. Munger Foundation, to honor Nathaniel Bowditch, a 19th-century pioneer in celestial navigation and an early supporter of the MGH. Nathaniel Bowditch's name still is a prominent one in maritime circles: a 108-foot tall ship (pictured at right) was christened in his honor.

Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, MGH surgeon-in-chief, chairs the Bowditch Prize selection committee, which currently is accepting nominations for the 2001 award.

According to Warshaw, all of the nominees for last year's award deserve credit and recognition for their hard work and dedication to the MGH. "It was difficult for us to choose a winner last year, so we chose two," he says. "The nominations we received were exceptional, and I know that this year's nominations will be equally as strong. I find it gratifying to be part of a program that recognizes and rewards some wonderful and important work that is contributing to the success of the institution."

Below are excerpts from some of last year's award nominations:

Nominee: Sue Capanno, RN, of Cardiac Surgery "Sue Capanno has brought a human presence and a willingness to make things work to an area (pre-operative waiting for Cardiac Surgery) which has been problematic over the years. Her efforts can be shown to directly have saved a huge amount of expense and denied days for the hospital. Even if the dollars didn't matter, her work has been a success as she coordinates a very complex process."

Nominees: Harold Demonaco, director of Drug Therapy Management; W. Sunny Dzik, MD, co-director of the Blood Transfusion Service; and Kent Lewandrowski, MD, associate director of the Clinical Laboratories "Our three nominees have co-led the Operations Improvement Ancillary Utilization effort with measurable success. They began the fiscal year with a financial target of $1.6 million. Their task was to trim their departmental budgets through identifying unnecessary utilization of drugs, blood products and lab tests at the hospital. They have worked with the physician leadership to ensure that all suggested interventions are clinically appropriate. Through FY00's third quarter, they have collectively saved $1.4 million."

Nominee: MGH Medical Interpreter Services "Trained, capable medical interpreters allow encounters to happen with non-English speaking patients and their clinicians in efficient, empathetic and complete ways. Repeat tests are avoided; missed appointments are fewer because dates are confirmed; and compliance is higher because patients have an opportunity to ask questions and understand their situations more completely."

Nomination forms for the 2001 Bowditch Prize now are available. All nominations should be submitted by July 31. For more information, call (617) 726-8254.