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2 2❱❱❱❱❱ L O C A L N E W S Dr. Verhoest, a longtime Hudson Valley OB-GYN surgeon and pioneer of robotic surger y in the area, was presented with the 2016 Physician Excellence Award. Dr. Verhoest is a longtime suppor ter of Saint Francis Hospital and champion of MidHudson Regional Hospital. Donald and Dale Adams have been benefactors of Saint Francis/MidHudson Regional Hospital for more than four decades and have significantly contrib - uted to the Redl Center for Cancer Care. Donald is the second-generation owner of the Adams Fairacre Farms market chain. They were presented the 2016 Community Champions Award. Orange Regional Medical Center recently launched a program to promote healing through ar ts activities. The Ar t Car t, a mobile activity center, was designed as a creative resource to bring recreational en - richment to patients' bedsides. Research has shown that active par ticipation in ar ts activities reduces the stress and anxiety often associated with healthcare settings and helps people of all ages improve their health and emotional well-being. Collaboratively developed among the hospital's Ar t Program, Child Life Program and Volunteer Ser vices, the Ar t Car t is operated by trained volunteers. Many of the Ar t Car t's volunteers have a background in child life practice, as professional ar tists or as ar t teachers, and they bring different creative skills to the program. The Ar t Car t offers many types of activities, such as paper crafts, painting, sculpture, jewelr y making and collage. It was designed so that projects are accessible for all ages and skill levels. Patients can bring their ar twork home as a positive memento of their stay in the hospital and as possible inspiration for continuing to create ar t after their visit. The Ar t Car t Program was piloted on the Pediatric Unit and received positive feedback from patients and their families. "During my daughter's stay at Orange Regional, we had the most enjoyable visit from [the Ar t Car t volunteers]. They brought joy to a stressful time," says one parent in an email to the hospital. Siblings and family members are also invited to par ticipate in Ar t Car t activities. Putnam Hospital Center recently received the 2016 Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades, a distinc - tion given to only the top 15 percent of hospitals in the nation. Putnam Hospital Center was one of 4 48 hospitals in the countr y and one of only seven in New York to receive this honor. Healthgrades ana - lyzed patient sur vey scores for admissions between April 2014 and March 2015 to determine the award recipients. Health Quest and its three hospitals have received several Excellence in Healthcare Awards across a spectrum of patient ser vices. The awards come from national healthcare research organization Professional Research Consultants Inc. and recognize organizations and individu - als who improve patient experiences, employee engagement and/or par tner - ships with physicians throughout the year. Awards are based on sur veys completed by patients, employees and physicians. Health Quest's hospitals, Nor thern Dutchess Hospital, Putnam Hospital Center and Vassar Brothers Medical Center, each received both four- and five-star awards out of a five-star rating system. The entire system was also a top per former in oncology ser vices. The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) and HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley (HealthAlliance) announced an impor tant agreement that will enhance and expand health care for an entire region, while keeping essential ser vices close to home for those who need them. The agreement strengthens HealthAlliance's existing healthcare of - ferings and provides new, more advanced ser vices that meet the full range of patient needs. The vision includes continuation of critical-access and skilled-nursing ser vices in Margaretville, the develop - ment of HealthAlliance Hospital: Mar y's Avenue Campus into a single hospital with sophisticated medical technologies, and the evolution of HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus into a medical village concept to bring a variety of much-needed community ambulator y ser vices under one roof. Like its recent par tnerships with MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie and Bon Secours Charity Health System, the relationship with HealthAlliance furthers WMCHealth's goal of preserving and improving services in existing Hudson Valley healthcare facilities so local families can benefit from high-quality care close to home. ■ (L–R) Dr. and Mrs. Verhoest, Dale and Donald Adams, and Paul Hochenberg Orange Regional Medical Center's Art Cart Program Volunteers with the Art Cart