PMH HealthBeat

PMH wins Excellence in Patient Care award

Pocahontas Memorial Hospital recently received an Excellence in Patient Care award from outcomes firm Studer Group®. The award was presented for the hospital’s exemplary “Responsiveness to Patients,” based on results from patient surveys. PMH’s outstanding results ranked them among the highest from a database of nearly 1,000 organizations coached by the firm.
“Receiving an award for Excellence in Patient Care is not only a compliment but an affirmation that our organization continues to move in the right direction with healthcare,” Chief Nursing Office Kerry Ridgeway said.  “Pocahontas Memorial Hospital employs dedicated and caring staff that understand why utilizing best practices such as the hourly-rounding can and do have an impact on patient care.  This award is based on the patient’s perception of the care received, and it speaks highly of our facility as every employee the patient interacts with has the ability to impact this result.”
This is the third Excellence in Patient Care award that PMH has received from the coaching firm since 2011. PMH has received previous awards in “Medication Communications” and “Room Cleanliness.”
Studer Group works with healthcare organizations in the United States and other countries to “help them achieve and sustain exceptional improvement in clinical outcomes and financial results.” Studer Group’s goal is to help build a sustainable culture that promotes accountability, fosters innovation, and consistently delivers a great patient experience and the best quality outcomes over time.
Kathy Irvine and Cheryl Cain accepted the award on behalf of PMH while being presenters at Studer Group’s recent “What’s Right in Health Care” conference in Chicago, Illinois.
The pair presented a workshop on the importance of taking Studer Group’s evidence-based tactics straight to the front line staff and how to improve buy-in through “Boot Camp” training sessions.
In the winter of 2015, it was recognized that many of the staff at PMH did not clearly understand the “why” for the use of many of the evidence-based tactics the hospital had implemented. The leadership team attributes increased employee engagement and improved patient perception to the Boot Camp initiative.