East Morgan County Hospital Tops Colorado HCAHPS
Colorado hospitals ask their patients about the care they received on a routine basis. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, also called HCAHPS, is a national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care. HCAHPS (pronounced “H-caps”) collects information and publicly reports its results as a means to improve your health care. Recently, the July 2007 through June 2008 survey results were published, and East Morgan County Hospital received the highest score in the state for cleanliness of the hospital environment with a score of 88 percent.
East Morgan County Hospital had a national percentile ranking of 98 percent, which was higher than the national 90th percentile score of 81 percent during this survey period.
“Patients watch and know what is going on here. We create relationships with our patients,” said Margaret Chouinard, Guest Services manager. "The score is great. It is what patients care about, how they were treated.”
Chouinard supervises a staff of 11 people in dietary and environmental services. “I’m extremely proud of them. We’re a team,” she said. “Several of my staff are cross trained and can work in either area as needed.” The environmental services staff clean and sanitize the hospital, clinic, rehabilitation, doctor’s apartment, and foundation building. This requires the staff to be versatile and flexible in their cleaning abilities.
The Environmental Services staff does more than clean. They are involved in the ordering of laundry, forecasting and monitoring of supplies. This ownership has the staff engaged and committed to their jobs. “It helps them take pride in their work,” said Chouinard.
East Morgan County Hospital has been involved with many national surveys. “This is one way that we improve the quality of care here, and that is our mission: We exist to make a difference in people's lives through excellent patient care,” said Wendy Danielson, Service Excellence manager.
“When a patient is asked, what else can we do for you, we give them what they want,” said Danielson. If it is a special meal, dietary services responds and tries to do what is right for the patient.
About East Morgan County Hospital
East Morgan County Hospital in Brush, Colo. is licensed by the state of Colorado and certified by Medicare as a 25-bed critical-access hospital. Designated as a Level IV Trauma Center, East Morgan includes a newly remodeled 24-hour emergency department and radiology department.
