HAP Achievement Awards: Allegheny General Hospital

August 14, 2026

HAP's annual Achievement Awards honor hospitals and health systems for their innovation, creativity, and commitment to patient care. The Achievement Awards showcase and share member hospitals’ and health systems’ successful programs and best practices.

Allegheny General Hospital received the Excellence in Care Award for advancing early mobility for critically ill patients through a multidisciplinary care approach that improves survival and discharge outcomes.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The challenge:  Critically ill patients on VA-ECMO faced severe deconditioning and weakness because traditional care often kept them immobile for long periods.
• Addressing the Issue:  Baseline data showed that mobility was rarely attempted for these high-acuity patients, largely because of safety concerns, limited infrastructure, and the lack of a standardized process.
• Taking Action:  A multidisciplinary team created a dedicated ECMO mobility protocol, built staff training into quarterly education, and introduced progressive mobility tools such as edge-of-bed therapy, chair transfers, ambulation, a verticalization bed, and a medical-grade walking pad.
• Results:  The percentage of ECMO patients mobilized rose from 9.3% in 2022 to 43.6% in early 2025, with mobilized patients showing significantly better 30- and 90-day survival and a higher likelihood of being discharged home.
• Advancing Care:  Reflecting on the program’s impact, the team emphasized its focus on helping critically ill patients not only survive, but recover with greater strength and independence, describing “a commitment to not only saving lives but also ensuring the highest possible quality of life for our most critically ill patients.”

Congratulations to Allegheny General Hospital for its outstanding efforts to enhance patient safety and care outcomes. Learn more about the project online.

Questions about the HAP Achievement Awards may be directed to HAP Member Services at (717) 561-5359.