7/2/2009

Press Ganey Associates, Inc. recently informed Susquehanna Health that it is the recipient of their "Journey of Improvement" certificate. The achievement acknowledges an improvement of 2.5 in mean score points in the "Likelihood to Recommend" question on the inpatient survey during the time period of January – March 2009. Some examples of improvements made in the Health System’s inpatient areas that may have contributed to this achievement include:

• Review of Press Ganey scores by employee service partners and physicians. This takes place during Leadership and department meetings as well as during department council meetings; it provides an opportunity for staff to note areas of concern such as Physician Communication, Medication Communication, and Understanding Discharge Instruction
• Guidance and coaching provided to employee service partners and physicians to use when communicating with patients.
• At Muncy Valley Hospital, the resource clinician (RN) now serves as chair of its department multi-disciplinary Patient Satisfaction Committee allowing for faster turn around in addressing noted issues with all service partners on 2 Main.
• Patient satisfaction scores are posted in each department.
• AIDET (acknowledge, introduction, duration, explanation and thank you) education and changes in processes to support this have been implemented in Laboratory and ISS, with other inpatient areas piloting during this time.

In a congratulatory note to Candy Dewar, Susquehanna Health Vice President of Quality and Safety, Press Ganey says, "The mean score has increased by 2.5 which is statistically significant. Press Ganey recognizes that the change in score was not random, but due to some change within your facility. Your patients have recognized this change!"

Press Ganey Associates, Inc.
For more than 20 years, Press Ganey has been committed to providing insight that allows health care organizations to improve the quality of care they provide while improving their bottom-line results. The company offers the largest comparative customer feedback databases, actionable data, solution resources, and unparalleled consulting and customer service. Press Ganey currently partners with more than 10,000 health care facilities to measure and improve the quality of their care. For more information, visit www.pressganey.com.