MHA Awards Nomination – Bruce and Denise Rueben Courage Award
Nominee Description
Dee Henderson-Dunn is Quality Coordinator for Surgical Services at Regions Hospital. She has been a
Registered Nurse for over 30 years with the majority of her experience within the Operating Room.
Dee serves as an activist for quality and safety within the perioperative environment and is dedicated to
driving improvement; ensuring patients receive effective, safe, and patient-centered care. In addition,
Dee has led the design and implementation of innovative solutions aimed at improving safety for the
thousands of surgical patients treated at Regions each year.
Nomination
Regions Hospital is delighted to nominate Dee Henderson-Dunn RN, Quality Coordinator - Surgical
Services, for the Bruce and Denise Rueben Courage Award. Dee is dedicated to improving patient care
throughout our organization, and serves as an activist for quality and safety within the perioperative
environment. She uses her 30 years of Operating Room experience to drive improvement; ensuring
patients receive effective, safe, and patient-centered care. Dee has also been involved in the design and
implementation of new processes to improve safety for the thousands of surgical patients Regions treats
each year. Dee’s leadership in improving safety for patients at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and her
contributions to our Anesthesia/Procedural Sedation Programs, exemplify her commitment to
excellence.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is estimated to affect nearly three million American adults, with an estimated
82 percent of men and 92 percent of women unaware of their condition. In addition, patients with OSA
have an increased risk of experiencing complications after surgery, most commonly Hypoventilation.
Clinical guidelines suggest having processes in place for assessing patients’ risk and applying appropriate
interventions.
In January 2013 Regions Hospital took a proactive step in ensuring the safety of surgical patients, and
worked toward addressing the OSA/Hypoventilation risk within perioperative services. Dee was
undoubtedly chosen to lead the effort. She has been fundamental in the design of an innovative new
process aimed at assessing patients for their OSA risk, and ensuring that the appropriate interventions
are in place.
An additional example of Dee’s commitment to excellence can be found within our Anesthesia and
Procedural Sedation programs. Dee has been essential in the design of new systems for performance
monitoring and evaluation within the areas of patient safety, patient experience, and clinical
effectiveness. Her efforts in this area have led to increased transparency and are critical to the diffusion
of actionable knowledge across the organization.
Dee’s courage and determination are consistently demonstrated through her sustained effort to do
what is right for the patient. Whether it be leading quality improvement and patient safety projects,
updating critical policies and procedures, or creating performance analysis and evaluation systems, Dee
continuously advocates for the delivery of the safest, highest quality care possible. Her compassion for
patients and the community support her in breaking down barriers to success and producing
measurable results.