American Alliance of Healthcare Providers Present the Steptoe Group, LLC with the Prestigious Choice Award for its Cultural Competency and Patient Centered Care Training Seminars

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2011/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Alliance of Healthcare Providers (AAHCP) has awarded the Steptoe Group, LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business, the 2011 Choice Award for Excellence in a Medical Specialty. The award was presented to the Steptoe Group at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Monday, September 19th, 2011.  The Steptoe Group joins a long list of notable institutions that have been granted the Choice Award (eg. The John Hopkins Hospital, MD, Pikesville Medical Center, KY, UCLA Medical Center, CA, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, Scott and White Healthcare, TX, Cleveland Clinic, OH). The Award recognizes the Steptoe Group's groundbreaking work in the education and training of health care providers and allied health team members in regard to the importance of military culture, cultural competency, and communication as they treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), Compassion Fatigue, and the other Mental and Behavioral Health Concerns for service members, veterans, and their families.

Rick Parr, President of the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers (AAHCP) stated that the Choice Award Program is committed to finding America's most customer-friendly medical providers.  AAHCP recognized the first hospitals with the Hospital of Choice Award in 2002. In 2011, AAHCP announced that the Choice Awards will now be offered in two categories: Hospital of Choice and Medical Specialty Choice Award. Mr. Parr also stated that beginning October 1, 2011; the top 100 former Hospital of Choice Award winning facilities will be evaluated against 400 randomly selected hospitals. The selection process will be data driven and evidenced based.

Ron Steptoe, the company's CEO, was informed by Mr. Parr that the AAHCP's Choice Awards Selection Committee unanimously approved the Steptoe Group, LLC as the first recipient of the Choice Award for Excellence in a Medical Specialty. He stated that, "the firm has set a standard that will be hard for others to follow, but this is as it should be. Congratulations to you and your staff for a job well done." The award citation reads: "  the Choice Award is hereby granted to the Steptoe Group, LLC for Excellence in a Medical Specialty by implementing a healthcare training program that successfully addresses cultural competency and patient centered care, and therefore shall be designated a Program of Choice."

In 2010, the company received the 2010 U.S. Congress Veterans Braintrust Award for its innovative work in training professionals treating military and veteran patients. Dr. Evelyn Lewis, the company's Chief Medical Officer, stated that recognition by the AAHCP further emphasizes the critical need for innovative healthcare education and training solutions that have a measurable impact on performance improvement. On January 1,  2012 The Joint Commission's (TJC)  new standards for patient centered communications take effect and  require each health care system and program seeking accreditation to advance effective communication, cultural competence, and patient- and family-centered care. The Steptoe Group's training seminars are patient centric, evidence based, and anchored in cultural competency best practices to uniquely meet the needs of our service members, veterans and their families who comprise about 25% of the U.S. population. These numbers are significant and will require all of the nation's healthcare systems to engage military and veteran centric best practices to improve performance, service delivery, and health outcomes for this population.    

Following the award presentation Iowa State University's Professor David Jiles, the Palmer Endowed Departmental Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, announced a ground breaking Research and Development partnership between Iowa State University and the Steptoe Group LLC.  The partnership focuses on bioengineering of new diagnostic and treatment interventions in several brain disorders. The joint R&D efforts will initially target Deep Brain Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Depression.

The award and R&D announcements were concluded by a Panel Discussion on "Cultural Competency and Warrior-Veteran Centric Care in PTSD, TBI, Compassion Fatigue and other Mental and Behavioral Health Concerns."

For a company overview on the Steptoe Group, LLC award winning seminar series visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-cXxuOpNSA

For additional information:
Shirley Fairwell, 240-888-2330
[email protected], [email protected]  
Or Visit:  www.thesteptoegroup.com/press

SOURCE Steptoe Group, LLC