The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded Stevens Community Medical Center (SCMC) a 5-Star patient survey rating as a result of the nationally standardized patient’s perspective survey, HCAHPS. The designation recognizes hospitals with a 5-star rating system to make it easier for consumers to use the information to spotlight excellence in this measure of healthcare quality. Additionally, Becker’s Hospital Review included SCMC on their list of the best 100 hospitals nationwide for patient experience.
Kerrie McEvilly, CEO at SCMC, commented, “This 5-Star rating and being named as a top 100 hospital for patient experience means so much to me as a healthcare leader. I am proud of the entire staff at SCMC because they all contribute in one way or another to the overall effort to provide high-quality services. We are here to provide care and comfort during a trying time in a person’s life, so it is very important to me that we do so in an excellent manner.”
The HCAHPS survey asks discharged patients 29 questions about their recent experience. It is administered to a random sample of adult patients across medical conditions between 48 hours and six weeks after discharge. Areas of focus for patients to rate care are nurse communication, doctor communication, the responsiveness of hospital staff, communication about medicines, discharge information, care transition, cleanliness, the quietness of the environment, and a patient’s willingness to recommend.
Rachel Laux, Supervisor for Quality, Emergency Care, and ICU & Program Manager for Stroke & Trauma Services at SCMC, also shared her thoughts regarding the achievement of this designation. “Working in healthcare, you make a conscious decision to care about someone else’s needs–and when it comes to the quality of healthcare they receive, we want it to be nothing less than stellar. How exciting to be recognized by our patients, who ultimately are our employers, who gave us this rating based upon their satisfaction with the care provided to them by the entire SCMC Team!”