By Ida Brown / ibrown@themeridianstar.com
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN —
With the spirit of a high school pep rally – complete with band and cheerleaders – the staff of Anderson Regional Medical Center celebrated the announcement of two national awards Wednesday.
Anderson has been ranked as one of the top hospitals in the nation by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The medical center ranked in the Top 5 percent of U.S. hospitals for patient safety and in the Top 10 percent of U.S. hospitals in patient experience. Of the almost 5,000 hospitals surveyed, Anderson Regional Medical Center is among only 30 institutions nationwide to receive awards in both categories, at 5 percent and 10 percent respectively.
During the celebratory occasion, hospital employees, as well as city and county officials and local business leaders were caught up in the excitement – fueled by drum rolls and cheers from members of the Northeast High School band and cheerleaders, as well as cake and punch.
"This is very eventful in the history of Anderson Regional Medical Center and for Meridian and the East Mississippi/West Alabama area," said Ray Humphreys, Anderson's president/CEO.
"To be selected as one of 17 hospitals in America for patient safety and outstanding patient experience by this national ratings company is truly an honor," Humphreys said.
In a study released by HealthGrades, Anderson was one of only 238 hospitals in the nation to receive the HealthGrades 2010 Patient Safety Excellence Award. The award is given based on the incidence rates of 15 patient safety indicators among Medicare patients at virtually all of the nation's nearly 5,000 non-federal hospitals.
The HealthGrades 2010-11 Outstanding Patient Experience Award was given on the basis of surveys of patients shortly after discharge to ascertain their experience on a range of issues, from communication with doctors and nurses to cleanliness and pain management.
Anderson Regional Medical Center was the only recipient of both the Patient Safety Excellence and Outstanding Patient Experience awards in Meridian. Anderson was one of only three hospitals in Mississippi to receive the patient safety award this year, and one of six in the state to receive the patient experience award.
Participation in the HealthGrades survey is not voluntary.
"We rate all non-federal hospital, they can't opt in or opt out," said Katherine Henschen, HealthGrades' consultant for provider services.
"We use Medicare data, so if your hospital supports Medicare data, you are included in our study," she said.
Rick May, M.D., a HealthGrades vice president, commended Anderson for both achievements. Concerning patient safety, May said, "Hospitals like Anderson Regional Medical Center are setting benchmarks of superior performance that we would like to see other hospitals emulate."
On patient experience, May said, "There are a select group of hospitals that have made a top-to-bottom commitment to providing their patients with an outstanding patient experience as part of their overall commitment to quality. Members of the community should take pride in knowing that, should they need it, there's a hospital in their area that puts patients first."
Humphreys said both of these achievements are the result of the dedication and focus of the entire hospital staff.
"The patient safety award comes from an exhaustive analysis of hospital records, and the patient experience award reflects the real-life experiences of our patients," Humphreys said.
"Both awards are based on a solid and consistent focus on our patients, plus the services we provide for them. I am enormously proud of our staff and the important role our hospital plays in providing for the medical needs of the people of our region."
For the detail results for Anderson as well other hospitals in the nation surveyed by HealthGrades, visit the Web site healthgrades.com.
