posted May 10, 2008
Hutcheson Medical Center is ranked number one in the state of Georgia for overall patient satisfaction and in the top one percent of patient-recommended hospitals in the nation, according to a survey conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The survey, called the Hospital and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or HCAHPS, asks discharged patients, randomly selected, to give an overall number grade to their hospital on a scale of one to ten. The surveys also asks how well nurses and doctors communicated with patients and whether they received adequate information about their care after discharge.
92 percent of Hutcheson’s Medicare patients gave Hutcheson an overall rating of nine or higher (out of ten). This put Hutcheson at the top of the list of Georgia hospitals.
A question asked at the end of the survey “Would patients recommend the hospital to friends and family?” placed Hutcheson in the top one percent in the nation with 94 percent of respondents giving Hutcheson a score of nine or ten when patients answered yes, definitely.
“We couldn’t be more pleased,” said Charles Stewart, president and CEO of Hutcheson health system. “We began an earnest effort two years ago to make customer service a top priority at Hutcheson. Our staff and physicians have worked very hard, with a focus of satisfying one patient at a time. It is great to have this recognition to reinforce that everyone’s efforts are making a difference.”
The survey data, which was just recently released, was based on data from hospital stays that occurred between October 2006 and June 2007. More than 2,500 hospitals across the nation participated in the survey on a voluntary basis. All hospitals are now required to participate or they could face decreases in payment from CMS.
“Patient care is our number one priority at Hutcheson. We are constantly asking ourselves how we can improve,” said Mr. Stewart. “We participate in the HCAHPS survey and also evaluate patient satisfaction through another survey conducted by an outside service on a monthly basis. This allows us to closely monitor areas individually and adjust services and care appropriately if needed.”
The Georgia hospitals’ average on patient satisfaction was 65 percent, two percentage points higher than the national mark.
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