Sky Lakes Wins National Award for Extraordinary Dedication to Community Health
Independent hospital in Klamath Falls is first in Oregon to win $100,000 Foster G. McGaw Prize from American Hospital Association
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sky Lakes Medical Center is honored to be the first hospital in Oregon to win the American Hospital Association’s prestigious Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service.
This national award recognizes Sky Lakes for its extraordinary dedication to improving the health and well-being of the entire Klamath community, far beyond its hospital walls. The AHA plans to present the $100,000 prize to Sky Lakes on July 13, 2026, at its Leadership Summit in Denver.
“This award reflects what an entire community can accomplish when people come together around a shared purpose," said David Cauble, president and CEO of Sky Lakes Medical Center. "We are incredibly proud of our community and grateful to the many partners, volunteers and organizations who made this possible. This recognition belongs to all of them. While we have made tremendous progress, our work isn't finished, which is why we are investing the entire $100,000 award back into our community to continue building a healthier future for everyone.”
As an independent, rural medical center, Sky Lakes is deeply invested and connected to the health and well-being of people in the Klamath Basin. It is working with 50 community partners through the Healthy Klamath Network to address key social and environmental factors that shape health outcomes. Highlights include:
- Opening a community wellness center focused on preventing and managing chronic diseases. Participants in the center’s four-month Lifestyle Change Program lose an average of 4% of their starting weight and report meaningful drops in depression and anxiety.
- Leading a successful campaign to reduce smoking, featuring a retired doctor disguised as Batman. Since 2015, the rate of adults who smoke has fallen from 24% to 16.5%. Illegal tobacco sales to youth dropped 86% in six years, from 35% in 2018 to 5% in 2024.
- Launching a year-round, online farmers market to connect residents with more than 30 local growers to increase access to fresh food.
- Creating new outdoor spaces, such as an ADA accessible playground, an interactive art walk and protected bike paths. In 2010 only 14% of Klamath residents lived within a half mile of a park, but now 64.5% of residents do.
- Growing our own healthcare workforce by creating career pathways that start in high school, where 31% of students in our paid Hospital Ambassador Program move directly into healthcare employment.
“Sky Lakes Medical Center goes above and beyond each day to partner with local organizations to advance health in the rural communities it serves in southern Oregon and northern California,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the AHA. “From encouraging young people to join healthcare professions to helping provide healthy, local food to those in need to encouraging physical activity and wellness, Sky Lakes Medical Center’s community focus is an inspiration to the entire hospital field.”
Klamath County is a geographically expansive rural community in south-central Oregon that faces significant health and socioeconomic challenges. More than 20% of residents live below the federal poverty level, approximately 76% rely on Medicare or Medicaid for health coverage, and 16% experience food insecurity, factors that contribute to some of the state's most challenging health outcomes.
“What we’re doing is changing the dynamic in the Klamath Basin and making a significant impact on the quality of life for the people of Klamath County,” Merritt Driscoll, executive director of the Sky Lakes Foundation. “We’re making this a place where people want to come to live, work, learn and play.”
The Foster G. McGaw Prize is sponsored by the Baxter Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International, and is administered by the American Hospital Association. The prize is given annually to a healthcare organization that has shown exceptional commitment to co-designing innovative partnerships and collaboratives to address societal factors influencing health and improving access to high-quality safe healthcare for all. The three finalists for this year’s award were Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC; Grady Health System in Atlanta; and Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera, Calif.
“This is a team effort, and it has been such a privilege to work with all our partners to help our neighbors lead healthier lives,” said Dr. Stewart Decker, medical director of the Sky Lakes Wellness Center. “Together we are proving small changes can add up to big, lasting results for individuals and the entire community.”
About Sky Lakes Medical Center
Sky Lakes Medical Center is a nonprofit health system serving southern Oregon and northern California. With a commitment to patient-centered care, Sky Lakes delivers a comprehensive range of medical services through 38 clinical locations. The internationally accredited acute-care medical center is also a teaching hospital licensed for 176 beds. With a history of community investment, Sky Lakes promotes preventative care and wellness. Although an independent organization, Sky Lakes partners with OHSU, Cascades East Family Medicine Residency, Oregon Institute of Technology, Cascades Comprehensive Care and others to expand care and training opportunities in the region. With more than 1,700 employees, Sky Lakes is the area’s largest employer.
Contacts
Media contact: Beth Heinrich, 503-501-6619, beth.heinrich@skylakes.org
