Blackfoot Hospital Wins National Award For Patient Satisfaction
A local hospital has won national recognition for being one of the best when it comes to pleasing patients.
Press Ganey Associates measures the quality of health care at more than 10,000 hospitals across the country.
The Idaho Doctor’s Hospital won the Summit Award for being one of the very best when it comes to patient satisfaction.
The hospital focuses on treating spinal problems, issues that can often leave patients in terrible pain, so staff at the hospital has put extra effort into making the experience as comfortable as possible.
“You know how scary it is, how uncomfortable it is. It’s not home. So we try to make it as much like home and as little like a hospital as possible,? IDH nurse Nathan Buck said.
To earn the Summit Award, the hospital had to be in the top 5 percent of hospitals for five years straight.
When it comes to patient satisfaction, the Idaho Doctors Hospital received recognition for being the best in Idaho and No. 3 across the nation.
Some patients didn’t seem too surprised with the award.
“It does not come as a surprise for me. It’s been very comfortable here. They’ve waited on me hand and foot, and it may be tough to come home,? Larry Anderson said.
Flowers greet patients in their rooms after surgery, professional chefs cook fresh meals and, at night, those at the hospital get massages along with milk and cookies.
Even before winning the award, staff said patient comments already had them confident they were doing their jobs well.
“Comments such as, ‘The food was excellent, please thank the chef’, or ‘The nurses all took such good care of me and they made me feel like I was home,’ or ‘This is the best hospital stay I’ve ever had,'” Buck said.
But those in charge of the hospital said getting this award isn’t a destination, it just shows they’re headed in the right direction.
“We don’t accept where we are. We want to move forward. We want to provide better quality care and we see the Summit Award as a beginning for us,? IDH chief of staff Clark Allen, M.D. said.
